A Long Journey
by omnomswritings
Summary: After his city is destroyed by an army never before seen by China, his parents taken hostage, and the army on the march to the Valley of Peace, our hero and his friends must journey to warn the Masters of the Jade Palace. But things don't go as planned.
1. A Beauty Lost

A/N: Thank's for deciding to read my story. I must warn you that Po and and original character's come in much later, but please continue reading. I plan on doing a sequel and will have them play a much larger role in that. Leave any encouragement, comments, criticisms in the reviews. Also, please excuse any grammatical or odd sentence structures, this is a work in progress and your cooperation and tolerance is greatly appreciated.

Enjoy

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><p>The mountains that surrounded the city were always covered in snow. Though, at the base, in the valley itself, there was always green vegetation. Two rivers ran from down the mountains and met to form one river at the end of the valley and continue on. The season was spring as the sun sank, letting itself hide behind the tips of the mountains. The snow glistened and the river began to take the beautiful red and orange glow of the sun as it reflected the light. The trees began to take a darker shade of green as the light left them. The valley began to sound of birds as they started their evening songs and the honk of geese as they flew to Mengyou City.<p>

Mengyou City was an architectural feat. From the top view, it was split in two by the Yi River. It was almost a complete circle with about an eighth missing from the top where the river split into two; the Yiliang and the Yisan. The two sides were united with wide bridges that spanned the river and reached the other side.

Mengyou City was the only city in the valley. It stood as a quiet sentinel protecting the valley from the foreigners that would dare threaten its inhabitants. Though it was a city that was prepared to fight, the warriors and citizens still took up the responsibility to make it beautiful. The buildings were always kept up and the walkways were in the best condition they could, with all the traffic going through it. Its crown jewel was the Mengyou Palace.

The Palace was at the edge of the city were the river still was one. It had three walkways that made its way across the river. These were a favorite among the Palace workers as it was made of sturdy oak for the floor, yet around it was glass. You could see the water rushing beneath you and then down to split into two. On the left side of the Palace was the Watch Tower – the tallest building in the City. It looked over the City and the entire valley. Its view was the most awe inspiring in the entire City. The walls around the Palace were elegant and not foreboding. The doorways were tall and welcoming, painted a soft, light red color. Trees and water features complemented the open courtyards as it led to the entrance of Palace. The front was tall, with pillars reaching to the overhang. The pillars had jade dragons climbing up it, reaching for the heavens. The front of the Palace was large, but the right side of the Palace was the living quarters and the bulk of the castle.

The entire Mengyou City was a marvel to look at. It was rich in color and culture. Mengyou was a safe haven, safely governed by Kun Zhu and Sun Nushi, leader of the City and of the Shandian Clan of Tigers. Yet, deep in the true bowels of the city, there was still darkness. Pubs and taverns littered the streets. Crime still lived and thrived. Fight clubs were some of the most popular as young warriors tried to prove their new kung fu skills to the worst of the city. They were soon drinking and gambling. The young were then sucked into the dark pit of the city simply known as Yexing – or Untamable. It was contained as much inside the City as possible, the cities troops' mostly keeping watch on the area, as the outside was peaceful.

The valley and Mengyou City were among the best places in China to live, nothing seemed to happen. The only location in which it was better to live in was the valley in which peace was its name: the Valley of Peace.

* * *

><p>The beauty of his home meant nothing to him as he was flung against the wall. He bit his lip, fighting the urge to cry out. He picked himself up and looked for an escape route. He saw none. The rhino was on him again. He felt the feeling of floating and realized he had been thrown in the air. He braced for the impact of the cold, hard cobblestone. It never came. Instead a flying kick from the rhino hit him in the chest and he hit the wall again. He lay on the ground not picking himself up, hoping that by staying down, he would show that he surrendered. The rhino laughed.<p>

"I know that trick, you coward! C'mon, fight me, tiger! Or are you truly a scaredy cat?"

The insult stung him. He had no answer. His anger began to build. The rhino walked over to him and knelt down beside him and whispered loudly into his ear, so everyone could here him.

"You are a softy, aren't you Tai? You are just a good student and a softy. You couldn't keep the city safe; you wouldn't know what to do in a fight. You don't deserve the throne next, _Mishi_!"

He used his middle name. Tai only wanted his parents and those who he truly trusted in to call him that. It meant _lost_. And that is exactly what he felt sometimes, thus his parents had given it to him lovingly. He balled his paws into fists and swung at the rhino's head, something he rarely did.

"Don't call me that!" Tai growled, letting his anger flow into the punch.

The punch never connected. The rhino deflected the punch with ease using his left arm. The right arm delivered three swift blows to Tai's face and then he kicked him right below the collarbone. Tai fell to the floor gasping for air. The rhino didn't stop. He hammered Tai's side and head. The pain was too great for Tai and he curled up into a ball. Pleaded quietly to his ancestors for the cruel treatment to stop. To his relief, the rhino stopped. Tai was still in too much pain to move. Bruises covered his body. His head pounded. He thought in his mind how glad he was for the beatings to have stopped. Then, he felt a wet spot on the top of his head. Then, near his foot. His arm. They were spitting on him. An ox knelt down beside him and began petting him. The group of bullies laughed. Tai curled up even tighter, not letting tears flow from his eyes. He had gone through this for most of his life. Why had he even thought that he could escape this in college? Someone scaly stepped on his tail – a crocodile. Finally, the ox lifted him up and threw him down, kicking him once more for good measure.

"That's enough, Chun. Let's get outta here before someone finds His Royal Weakness here," said the rhino, motioning toward Tai.

The ox grunted and followed the rhino along with the rest of the gang.

"So, where we going Curo?" asked Chun.

"I was thinkin' we go to my place for some grub," replied Curo. "It'll be our little celebration."

The bullies cheered and left.

As the sound of the tormentors talk and laughter faded, Tai lay on the ground. He lifted his lips in a soundless snarl, a small rebellion. He took a deep breath. His side screamed in agony at the simple motion. He groaned in pain. Shaking his head to clear it, he put his front paws on the ground and tried to get up. He lifted himself half-way before collapsing back onto the pavement in the alley – the effort proving too much for him.

* * *

><p>Tai opened his eyes. He felt a bit better. The pain had dulled and he could breathe with little pain now. Sitting up, he steadied himself then got up on two legs and walked out of the alley. Tai got into the correct, upright posture for royalty. He felt foolish. One of his legs ached as he walked forward, giving him a limp. Lanterns were starting to be lit, chasing away the darkness. He could see clearly now. He looked up at the sky and marveled at the beauty nature could have, even when the life-giving sun was down. The patterns the clouds formed and the way the stars lit them from behind, giving the clouds dark silhouettes and a true silver lining. He found the bright stars comforting. Almost as if his ancestors <em>were<em> smiling at him from the distant Heavens. He bowed his head in respect for the stars. He looked back up and it seemed as if the stars dimmed then brightened again, like they were returning his gesture. Tai felt his heart warm. He always had felt better after looking up at the stars and the moon, though the moon was not here tonight. They gave him courage. How they did that, he did not know.

Tai turned his attention back to the road and looked at the signs that began to appear from shop to shop. His attention was drawn to a bright green one with gold lettering. Here was where he wanted to go. He knocked on the door. A bustle was heard inside the store and the door opened.

An older crane stood in the doorway, a broom in one of his wings and a straw hat in another. The crane's eyes lit up as he noticed Tai.

"Hello Tai!" said the crane, bowing low. "What is the honor of royalty visiting my humble shop?"

Tai laughed. This was an on going thing with him and the crane. When Tai first had troubles with bullies, he came here. First it had been just taunts and jeers throughout the years, but when the students had finished their studies, they had been allowed to learn kung fu. Everyone was excited, even Tai. The Masters began to instruct the pupils in the ways of harmony and of yin and yang - of kung fu. Throughout the months, the strong and skilled became apparent. Yet even those who were weaker, they still were able to hold their own. Tai was an exception. Though he was of the strongest breed, he was weak. He preferred staying indoors and working on his studies and enjoyed playing the game of chess. Tai still tried kung fu, yet was only able to pass the simplest tests. He had a very low tolerance for pain and wasn't in the best physical shape. The Masters tried everything, as this was Kun Zhu's son - Lord of the City! - and they wanted to show him their skills at teaching. Nothing even blossomed from Tai, no show of promise. No one was able to teach him. He was clumsy and couldn't go through the movement, let alone fight. His focus was outstanding, though. The Masters could do nothing but teach Tai of the mental side of kung fu. He excelled, but he still could not defend himself. His mind was quick and clever, but not in the arts of defense and attack.

When the strong became truly aware of their abilities, they all had different reactions. Most kept their honor and used it for good. Some looked as if they were using it for good, yet were using it for their own advantage too. Bullies then rose. They formed a group and picked on the most weak. Their favorite: Tai. The leader was the rhino named Curo. His family had been trying to get at the Mengyou City throne for awhile and he had hatred for Tai. Thus, the beatings began. Tai couldn't do anything about it, the rhino's were a strong clan in the City, backed up by many of the smaller denominations, and though Tai's father was the ruler, and he could do nothing if the Council dismissed it. That is exactly what they had done. They had ruled that if the young tiger could not defend himself, then he should learn to. They wanted a ruler who fought with power and would protect them when the old lord died. They did not see that in Tai. Thus, Tai was left to his own devices, despite his father's numerous attempts to help him. Finally after a number of one-sided fights, he walked a different way home. Along the way, he collapsed. The older crane had been heading to his show, saw the young tiger, and had pity on him. The crane brought him in and nursed his wounds and administered to him. When Tai had awaken, the crane uttered the same words he always had since used when he greeted Tai at his shop: "What is the honor of royalty visiting my humble shop?"

Tai laughed again as the old crane swept his hat up and put it on his head in a very flamboyant fashion.

"Just to say hello to an old friend," said Tai.

"Well, are you saying I'm old or that I have been your friend for awhile?" asked the crane.

Tai rolled his eyes and staggered in. The crane grabbed a chair and let the beat up tiger sit in it. The crane moved to the back of his shop and started a fire. He put water in a kettle and put it over the fire. Flapping back over to Tai he settled down in another chair and sat back.

"So, another run in with Curo?" asked the crane.

"Yes," said Tai, he clenched his paws slightly. "And my father still can't do anything about it. The Council is a double-edged sword; useful at times, yet still deadly to the wielder. What do you think I should do Jingli? I am a college student now. No longer an adolescence, yet here I am, acting so much younger than I really am. I am weak, Jingli. Past the age of an adult and yet I am so weak." Tai looked away, his thoughts running through his mind like a whirlwind. "I am old yet so young."

Jingli said nothing. He leaned forward and lifted up Tai's head. Tai looked deep into the crane's eyes. Jingli's own gaze pierced directly into Tai's. It dug deep into the tiger's consciousness and seemed to weave Tai back together. Jingli spoke,

"What did they do this time? You have never come to me like this before. You didn't call yourself weak; you just came here beat up." Jingli chucked at his grim humor.

Tai looked away.

"They spit on me. They pet me."

Jingli's eyes grew wider. The kind crane got up as the kettle began to whistle. Tai looked up at the sound of the bird's wings. He looked at the cozy shop again.

A row of shelves were off to his left. Drinks, food, weapons, books, toys, and even flowers filled the shelves. To his right was the long bar table that Jingli had converted to his check-out counter. He sat in the back of the shop, next to the back wall. A table was there and two chairs. Jingli originally had them there for him and his wife, until she died. Now, it was for Tai.

The crane came back with the kettle, tea cups, and some rags. He poured the boiling water into the two cups and dipped the tea bags into it. He handed one of the cups to Tai and sat down with a cup for himself. Jingli rested one of his wings on Tai's back and patted him fondly.

"I know words won't help as much as actions. What can I do against a group of young warriors? Just remember this – your ancestors are watching you. They will help. You might not see it now, but they will help you. Take your studies to even greater heights. Do you think that this city was built by mindless kung fu warriors? Absolutely not! Scholars and engineers designed this. Without the clever minded and the geniuses, we would not have what we have today. Try learning more on what you already know so much about. Do feats with your mind that the strongest members of kung fu can only dream of. Solve the most complex equations in your head while others are still scribbling on paper. Find your gift."

Tai smiled. He leaned forward and shook Jingli's wing vigorously.

"Your words are worth more than a thousand actions. Comfort, encouragement, and wisdom are enough to give hope to a lost soul," Tai said. The crane was incredible.

Jingli shook his paw back. Tai let go. Jingli stood up,

"And your company is the honor of a thousand lifetimes, Tai. You are one of the few who I still enjoy having conversation with. I wish you luck on whatever lies before you."

Tai bowed low to Jingli and walked out the door to the Palace.

* * *

><p>The Guards let Tai in immediately. As soon as he was in the doors he was embraced by his mother - slightly embarrassing him in front of the Guards. She let go and began to run her eyes up and down him. Her eyes filled with compassion and softness.<p>

"Oh, how I wish I could do something about those who hurt you. Can you at least try to fight back?"

"I will not," said Tai. "That will just be worse for me. Don't worry, mother, I am fine."

"It isn't fine. You are grown – fully! As much as I hate to say it, you do need to learn to help yourself."

His mother shook her head in disgust at the rules of the Council and beckoned for him to follow.

"Your father wants to give you something. I don't know what it is exactly, but he says it is important." Sun stopped and turned. "First, let's clean you up."

Sun clapped her paws together and two goats came up to Tai.

"Clean him up, give him a fresh set of clothes, and then let him go to Lord Kun," Sun said. The goats nodded and led him to his chambers.

The goats completed Sun's requests in a manner of time only they could have done. They rushed Tai to his bedroom and turned on the hot water. They stripped him of his clothes and helped him into the tub. Having someone bathe him was an unnecessary luxury, but he took it anyways. It let him relax from the day. The two goats scrubbed him clean and did what they could for his bruises, though there was little as Jingli was very adept at healing. The servants took him out of the tub and got him dressed in white, baggy pants, a gold color silk tunic, and a black belt. With his fur still a bit damp and cold, the warm clothes felt good. He was directed politely out of his room and toward his father's study. Tai walked to Kun's room slowly. When he reached the doors, he knocked on them.

"Come in," his father's voice said.

Tai walked in to see his father at his desk with books around him.

Kun Zhu was a middle-aged tiger with his fur color beginning to fade. He wore glasses when reading, but didn't need them for anything else. He was, contrary to his calm appearance, a fierce warrior. A Master at kung fu, he was not one to mess with. He wore a robe of cotton, forgoing the silk as he said it wasn't warm enough. The robe was silver and green with Chinese characters sewn into it. He held in his hand a scroll and had been reading it intently before Tai came in. His features were slightly chiseled unlike Tai's own more smoother facial features (those came from his mother).

"You wanted to see me?" asked Tai.

His father nodded and beckoned him to come. He looked Tai over. Though the wounds were well covered, Kun was still able to see where he hurt.

"Curo and his gang?"

Tai nodded, the memories flooding back to him.

Kun growled as he ran his paw over his son's fur, feeling the bumps and Tai's body twitch as he touched still sensitive spots.

_Why should Tai's position as son of the Lord of Mengyou City affect him?_ Kun asked himself. _It isn't right._

"I have thought this through. I think you should try archery. I know you don't like violence and it is a little bit late in your life for you to get really good, but if you stayed at the Training Hall, Curo wouldn't dare. Also, you can add math to it. I know you like arithmetic. Solve problems while you are doing it. Use the mind of yours. I can sense you will be the next architect for Mengyou City, not to mention lord as well." Kun turned back to his studies, but looked up quickly. "Oh, I have something else for you."

Kun turned and pulled out a piece wood. It was a library pass! No one younger than a full, four year graduate of the University had been allowed in it, as the knowledge was considered too high for the young – young being anything below twenty-five, some argued thirty – and they didn't want it destroyed on accident too.

"The Council did agree on one thing," said Kun.

"Finally," muttered Tai.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Kun raised an eyebrow yet didn't continue on the subject.

"They said they would allow you in the library only because of you academic promise, nothing else. I tried to get it earlier but they didn't allow it. Today I was able to convince them, so, I would like to give this to you."

With a great flourished he flipped the card over and showed the library pass. The front was smooth cherry wood with the flourishing calligraphy pinyin on it for: Knowledge. A glob of hot wax was on edge of the right side of the card.

"What's that for?" asked Tai.

"That, Mishi, is for you to put your mark, so that way the Keeper knows that it is truly your card. Just take you first three claws touch the wax and move down slowly."

Tai did just that and Kun handed it to him.

"See, you just made history! The first ever animal younger than that 'foolish' age of twenty-five to get a library pass! Now, you can retire to your room. I am in need of a meeting…..again."

"Thank you father," said Tai bowing.

Kun bowed back and went to back to his desk as Tai joyfully left the building. His future seemed a bit brighter.

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><p>AN: Alright, so I know its not the most enticing beginning to a story. I don't include the original Kung Fu Panda characters or anything, but please continue. Don't be part of the 90% that drops the story. I promise you it gets better. If it doesn't - in your mind - feel free to tell me. Or if you have any pointers that you'd like to give me to make an intro more interesting tell me.

Anyways, thanks for reading the first chapter. Enjoy the rest or enjoy whatever story you read next.


	2. Shang

Tai woke up. His neck hurt. He had fallen asleep at his desk after he tried to do what Jingli had said to try. He sat there trying to do some complex math in his head. He looked at himself. His clothes were a mess. He got up and picked out of his wardrobe his University uniform. Loose pants and loose shirt made of cotton. Getting himself dressed he walked down to the formal dining room where the breakfast buffet was being set up. He got a plate and picked out what he wanted and sat down to eat. He ate quickly and handed the plate to the servant that past by. He walked to the door where a guard handed him his pack. Nodding at the guard in thanks, he walked out. A guard waited for him at the door. The Golden cat carried a bow and arrow, a short sword, and a dagger. The guard bowed low and introduced himself to Tai.

"Good day, sir, I am Shang. An archer for the Guard. Your father asked me if I can teach your archery after your studies. He also asked that I go with you to and from school. Perhaps he thought it will give you a bit of security."

Tai eyed the guard. He was dressed in the normal light armor of an archer. A half inch thick leather armor over the black tunic. His arms were bear, though he wore metal bracers and black gloves with holes at the end for his claws to extend in battle. He wore leather leggings that gave protection, yet still allowed him to move fluidly.

"Why didn't my dad send you earlier?"

Shang lowered his voice.

"The Council wouldn't approve it. I am here by your father's order only. He hopes that my presence will scare Curo away. If he still comes to fight, I will do as much as I can, but if I go too far, Curo will go to his father. You know how that would go."

Tai blinked. If that did happen, things would go badly indeed. It would be a direct violation from the Council resulting in the loss of his father's position and the death of Shang. Curo too was royalty, though his father wasn't as powerful as Kun. Curo's father had many of the Council at his back.

"Thank you ahead of time, Shang," said Tai.

Shang bowed.

"And you don't need to treat me like royalty outside the Palace walls. Treat me as a friend."

Shang smiled.

"That is why I serve the Shandian Household. They don't give into pompous ways of past leaders. Now let's get going! You know, I can't believe your still in school."

"I'm at the University," said Tai, defending himself.

"Oh, _that_ kind of school. I was a bit confused when Lord Kun said school. I was thinking you were older."

Tai hesitated before continuing. "Yes, I am older." His age was something he was embarrassed about. Dropping the subject, the two felines walked to the University on the far side of the City.

* * *

><p>The day went by quickly. Tai sat by himself like usual at the lunch hour, yet still felt jubilant. Waiting for his upcoming archery lessons with Shang and then going to library. School finally let out. Looking for Curo, he saw the rhino leaving for the Training grounds. He looked for Shang.<p>

"Looking for me?"

Tai whirled. No one was behind him.

"Up here."

Standing on the roof was Shang. Jumping up, Shang back flipped off the roof and then twisted in the air to land right in front of Tai. Tai's eyes were wide and he marveled at the control the Golden cat had in the air.

"Come on; let's go pick you a bow."

Shang led Tai to the armory. The duo walked over to a section of the wall that held bows of numerous shapes and sizes. Reaching up, Shang picked one off the wall. It was a simple bow – nothing more than the standard of the army. Tai looked doubtful at Shang.

"Go on. I know the other bows look prettier and look more powerful, but you'll find it's just for show. This is the style I trained on. It won't fail you, guaranteed."

"You sound like a businessman," commented Tai.

"Ah, but I am. It's my business to teach you archery."

Shaking his head in exasperation, Tai took the bow. He had seen the Guard archers do it a lot, so he put his paws in the position he thought they were supposed to go.

"Not so fast. First, we gotta fit you with a bracer. Helps protect your wrists. Also, in the Guard, they can have some hidden weapons in them." Shang winked at Tai and took the bow out of Tai's paws. Standing behind Tai, he put the tiger's paws in the correct position – after putting on the bracer.

"Pull back on the bow."

Tai did so with ease. Shang shocked him by pulling the bow out of his grasp and grabbing another one.

"Try this one."

Tai did so with ease. Shang again switched out bows. Tai again pulled back on the bow. This time, it was much harder. Finally, he pulled it back to the correct position.

"Perfect!" exclaimed Shang. "Now, let's find you a long bow. These are bit harder to pull back on, but, they have much better range and accuracy."

Shang walked down the wall and selected a longbow.

"Pull back on it again."

Tai put the other bow down and pulled on this one. It was even harder than the one he had just put down.

"This….is….really hard!" panted Tai.

"Good! It'll build your strength." Shang looked at Tai's thin arms. They were nothing near the normal size of a tiger his age. "You'll need it. Now, I'll teach you how to pick your arrows."

Shang showed him how to select his arrows and they went to the range.

"Why is no one here?" asked Tai.

"Not many of the Master's use the bow. They prefer a hand-to-hand combat weapon, which is rather logical as that is what they trained for." Shang chuckled. "Nock an arrow, and let's get started."

Tai nocked an arrow and aimed at the target.

"Woah! Before you start, I gotta show you how to aim and fire before you start shooting arrows."

Shang then lectured Tai on how to shoot, reload, put away the bow, care for it, and aiming with it. To Tai, this was a class in school and he took it like it. Tai asked a few questions, but always listened, taking in everything his newfound friend said. Shang let Tai have a go, showing him were to look down and moving Tai's body so that way he was in a correct position. Tai let go. The arrow flew through the air. It struck the inner edges of the target, no where near the center. Tai was elated! He hadn't missed the target! Shang nodded his approval.

"Again. You have listened to me talk and talk about what to do, now, show me you took it all it."

Tai nodded a grin on his face. He nocked another arrow and fired. The arrow flew and struck the left side of the target. No where near the center, but closer than the first. All throughout the afternoon, Tai fired arrows from both the longbow and the normal bow. Shang motioned for Tai to stop three hours later.

"You must be tired. Let's go to that library you wanted to go to."

They packed up the bows. Shang started walking to the library.

"Aren't we going to return them?"

Shang looked back at Tai.

"They are yours now."

Tai put both bows on his back like Shang and caught up with him. Shang looked at Tai.

"So, you ever been in the library?"

"Nope," said Tai.

"Me either. I've heard it is a wonderful place. Filled with scrolls about almost anything you can imagine. Stories, techniques of fighting, and so much more."

"Yeah, it certainly seems to be an incredible place. So, what are you going to read first?"

"Nothing. I can't read or write," stated the Golden cat flatly. His expression was hard. "Soldiers are taught to accept orders and not to ask questions. We don't need to read. Our faith should be in the commander. We can barely read maps, in case we get lost, but other than that, soldiers cannot read." Shang's expression softened. "But I would love to learn."

"Let me teach you. I can grab a scroll that will help me and I can help you learn to read. It will help both of us."

"No. If anyone found out, I would not be allowed to fight anymore in the military. I would be cast out."

"Then I will stick up for you. You are risking your honor and neck as it is right now for me. I will help you. I will teach you."

Shang suddenly laughed.

"You are a bold one when it comes to learning and your friends. They are lucky to have you as a friend."

"I don't have friends," said Tai quietly.

"Oh. Well, I accept your offer, You Majesty."

"Don't call me that."

Shang winked.

"Deal."

* * *

><p>The library was tall. It was two stories high and had pillars with books carved into them to make it appear as if the knowledge of the books was enough to hold up the building. The doors were smaller though, wide enough for four to pass through, but only seven feet tall. The inside was just as grand. The beams that held up the roof had intricate designs in them. The shelves were filled with books. The second story was mainly an overhang above the first floor where the main bulk of the books were kept. Two grand staircases led up to the overhangs. The guardrails had the shape of a long dragon going around the top of it, from one end to the other. The tiger and Golden cat marveled at the sight. Tai showed the Keeper his pass and told her that Shang was with him and they were admitted in. Tai walked with Shang to a section on arithmetic and history. Tai grabbed two smaller volumes, though they were among the most revered of mathematicians and historians. Shang followed to the top of the stairs and to a table at the back of the second floor. There, Tai began teaching Shang how to read and write. Shang struggled, yet Tai was patient. They made progress that day; Shang memorizing the characters with unbridled zealotry and Tai studying the complex equations and numbers that were presented in the scrolls.<p>

It was dark when they left, but each was filled with a renewed energy. Tai was having one of the best days of his life. Shang also felt better, almost as if something that was missing had been found. They walked in silence, letting the cool breeze go through their fur. Both felt as if they had found a lifelong friend that had been missing for a long time.

"Let me introduce you to my friend Jingli. He owns a shop along this road."

"Actually, I can't. I'm on the Day Guard and have to be back at the barracks in like now, so I'll see you tomorrow."

Shang shook hands with Tai, and then ran off, trying to get back in time. Tai continued walking to Jingli's. Knocking on the door, Jingli answered it and bowed.

"What is the honor of royalty visiting my humble shop?"

"Just saying hello to an old friend."

"And old he is getting, no?" said Jingli with a chuckle. "You must have had a good day. No bruises, no new bumps, no long face either. Almost one that was, dare I say it, happy!"

Tai blinked his answer.

"It was the best day I have ever had in my life so far. I finally have a friend! After all these years! And he is a Guard, go figure. My father told him to escort me places, hoping his presence would frighten of Curo, though I doubt it. Still, it is nice. He is friendly and he took to me as a father would to a son, only, not. That would be weird." Tai's voice haltered as he stumbled on the analogy he used. After a second of silence, he started back up again, "He is one of the few who will call me friend, one who disregards my royalty and accepts me for who I am. He also seems to look past my, quote, nerd atmosphere."

Jingli nodded his approve at Tai's newfound friend. He looked at the bows on Tai's back.

"Have you taken up archery? I thought you didn't like violence?"

"I don't," replied Tai quickly. "My father thought it would help. Just as a sport. Nothing else. Something to take my mind of the day. Also, he showed me how to incorporate what I love into this. I can finally use math in something. My father also gave me a pass to the library, it is such a wonderful place."

Tai leaned back in the chair he had come to sit on while telling Jingli of his day.

"School went by as normal. But after that, nothing wrong seemed to happen. It was peaceful almost. Archery and then the library; and the library is incredible, scrolls everywhere, filling the shelves that reach to the roof! You would probably like it there."

Jingli looked at Tai. Then got up and went behind his check-out table. Lifting something heavy onto the table, he opened it. Reaching in, he pulled out an intricate quill pen. Next, he pulled out some parchment paper, some of the best quality Tai had ever seen. Finally, he pulled out two small glass jars shaped as water drops hitting the ground filled with ink.

"I ran across this awhile back. Someone probably had mixed up the order and didn't know where it went. Well, if they came to me, I could tell them, but they didn't! So, I kept the box. What was in the box you ask? I answer, what is right in front of you. A stack of the finest quality paper, a rather beautiful quill pen, and finally, the glass jars of ink. I didn't know what to do with it, other than not to sell it. So, I hid it."

"Why?"

"Well, it was too valuable to just put on the self. I didn't want to see this used for just number and figures for a business. It was my wife though that gave me the idea. She said if someone was willing enough to learn and happened to walk into my store, I should offer it to them. I laughed at the idea then, calling her crazy, but nonetheless I did what she said. It sat there. No one ever came with the description my wife gave me, so I never sold it."

Tai dipped his head down and looked at the crane. The crane didn't notice but kept on talking.

"I forgot about it. It wasn't until now that you come to me with the word library coming from your mouth that I remember this. So, Tai, I give this to you. No charge. Think of it as a celebration gift for today."

Tai put the things back in the box and shut the lid tightly.

"Thank you so much."

"Think nothing of it; you will use it more than anyone else in this city. Other than the Master Scholars perhaps…."

Jingli trailed off, staring into the distance. The crane blinked once then snapped back to attention.

"It is late and someone as old as I should get lots of sleep. I wish you a good night and a pleasant future!"

"And you," said Tai.

Tai looked up at the stars as he walked home.

"Thank you," he whispered to the stars. They twinkled back at him, almost as if saying, you're welcome.

Box in hand he walked into the Palace. He walked to his room and set the box down beside his desk. Taking everything out carefully, he placed the items in specific spots on his desk for quick access. Settling down in his chair, he picked up the quill pen and studied it. Its tip was like any normal tip, shaped for writing, but it was the feather that impressed him. Gold wrapped around the stalk of the pure white feather. Despite its older age, the feathers still were in good condition. A bit mangled, but other than that, everything seemed as it had been just made. The ink, he assumed was Jingli's doing. He probably filled the ink when he got the box. The paper was fine, but strong – unlike any paper he had seen. Dipping the quill into the ink, he started writing…


	3. Crooked Tail, Vertical Wall

Tai woke up in his bed. He looked around. He was in his night-clothes and his tail wasn't hanging out of the bed.

_Mother_, Tai thought, _no doubt. Still treating me like a child_.

Getting out of bed, he got ready for school. It was the same routine as before. Nothing new today. Reaching the edge of the Palace yards, he was greeted by Shang. They walked to the prestigious University together.

The day seemed to go slower for Tai today, maybe because he actually had something to look forward to today. School finally got out and Shang surprised him again by jumping out of a bush. Tai shoved Shang back into the bush, but Shang leapt gracefully out of the way and ran toward the Archery range. Tai was forced to follow with a fast pace. He never liked running and was out of breath.

At the range, they met a panda Archery Master. They watched her, Shang pointing out what the panda was doing. Before the panda left, she bowed in respect for Tai and left the range. With the Master gone, Tai continued his archery without the Master looking on. Tai felt embarrassed at performing so poorly in front of a Master, though Shang thought since he was a beginner, the Master wouldn't really judge him. With archery underway, Tai started getting better. He also got ideas on how he could make the longbow better, but kept his ideas from Shang. After practice they headed to the library and went to the exact spot. From there, Shang practiced his characters and Tai read, studied and taught Shang. Once they both felt that they were finished, they left the library and parted: Shang to the barracks and Tai to Jingli's and then to the Palace. The routine worked well with Tai. He felt better about himself and felt better in general. Shang also enjoyed the tiger's company. A month passed by and Shang and Tai became close friends. It was an odd friendship, royalty and a Guard, yet it worked for both of them.

Tai and Shang walked from the library down a street they hadn't traveled before. They laughed and joked. Mainly Shang telling the jokes, as Tai was terrible at that sort but loved to laugh. Tai stopped abruptly. Shang stepped a bit further forward before stopping also.

"Everything alright?"

No answer.

"Hey, you okay?"

Shang walked back toward the frozen Tai. A loud thud resounded behind him. Shang whirled. It was the rhino, Curo. Remember what would happen if he did anything, he growled at Curo then took Tai's bow and arrows so they would not break or hurt Tai during Curo's inevitable bullying. Shang ran to a building, paws balled into a fist. He could do _nothing!_ The rest of the bullies formed a circle around Tai. Tai seemed to not notice. Curo walked forward.

"Haven't seen you for awhile, we've missed you!" exclaimed Curo in a mocking tone. "Yeah, I missed pounding you. It was fun. Almost as much fun as kung fu." Curo then ended the sentence with a roundhouse kick to Tai's face. Tai fell on the ground. Two of Curo's gang picked him up and threw him to Curo. Curo in turn grabbed Tai and smashed him to the ground. Tai groaned and tried to wiggle out of Curo's strong grasp. Curo let go and Tai tried to make a get away, yet Curo stepped on Tai's tail. Tai let out a howl of pain and was then swung around by it. Bashing Tai into the ground over and over again, Curo looked as if he truly was having fun. Getting bored of this, he let Tai go and had him sail into a crocodile. The crocodile gang-member held Tai and looked at Curo.

"Have him 'fight' me," said Curo.

The crocodile's eyes narrowed in evil pleasure as he realized what he could do. Grabbing Tai's arms he started pushing him forward. Tai fought back, yet the crocodile continued moving forward. Curo cracked his knuckles. Getting into fighting distance of Curo, the crocodile made Tai swing at Curo. Curo blocked it and shoved the arm back with a punch of his opposite arm. The crocodile continued to move Tai into positions that Curo could easily evade and strike back harder. The crocodile finally let go of Tai, letting him drop.

"Ahhhhhhhh, wasn't that was a beautiful demonstration? Didn't it just leave you breath-less? No, well how about now?" said Curo as he slammed his fists down on Tai, right below the collar bone and the stomach. Tai doubled over and rolled into a ball on the hard cobblestone street, his breathe gone. His stomach hurt immensely, his head was pounding, and bruises covered his body. The band of bullies left Tai on the ground and spit at the direction of Shang. Shang snarled in response. They couldn't hurt him, as there was a death penalty for those who attacked a Guard. Nothing could stop that, not even the Council.

As soon as they were gone, Shang rushed to Tai's side. He looked over the beat up tiger's body.

"I didn't know this is what you went through. I thought it was just a bit of shoving and pushing. Maybe a few punches, but this is treasonous. Why don't you do something?"

"The Council," began Tai, but stopped as he coughed. "The Council said so. Please, I don't want to talk about it. Just get me to Jingli's. He has a shop along Yuyhan Lane."

Shang got Tai up on his feet and helped Tai walk to the old crane's shop. He knocked on the door. The crane opened the door and bowed,

"What is the honor of royal…." He stopped midway. "Come in. Lay him on the floor. This looks worse compared to the other beatings."

Shang gently lay Tai on the floor then stepped back as the crane did his work.

"You must be Jingli, Tai told me of you."

"I am he," said Jingli without looking up. "And you, by my presumptions and the fact the Tai told you my name, must be Shang."

"Yes."

Jingli looked up sharply.

"Why did you not do something?"

"I did, I picked up his bow and arrow. They are with me right now….."

"No! Not that! Why did you not help him? Surely you as a Guard could do something against these _things!_"

"I can't. The Council has said so, as I'm sure Tai told you. I am here strictly on Kun Zhu's order. The Council had not said yes, so if I fought back, Curo would tell. Kun Zhu would be dishonored and would loose his position. I would most likely loose my life. It angers me that I cannot do anything to help him."

"As it should," said Jingli bitterly. "That thrice-blasted Council has always been a nuisance! Nothing ever good has ever come out of it! Kun was fine by himself ruling, but the others wanted "equality." Sadly, they won over. The Council was born and things in Mengyou City have never been the same. It's almost like they are trying to ruin Kun."

"Yes, I know," said Shang. "I'm surprised Curo would act like that. Is he really around the same age as Tai?"

Crane grimaced, "It would seem so, though his actions are nothing near his true age."

"Bastard."

The crane nodded.

Tai woke up with his mother, father, and Shang standing next to his bed.

"What happened?" asked Tai.

"Shang helped you get back to the Palace, you were unconscious," said Sun Nushi. "Oh, Mishi, how it hurts me to see you like this, you don't deserve this."

Tai grew a bit uncomfortable about his mother's loving, though embarrassing, comments in front of Shang.

"None of us do," said Kun Zhu in the background. Shang nodded in agreement with the Lord of the City.

"What are we to do know, Shang?" asked Tai. His whole routine he had grown to love was now gone. His past had caught back up to him in a hurry. He could almost feel the teeth close down on his feet as he tried to run away from it again. How Tai loathed running away constantly, but it was what he was good at.

Kun spoke for Shang.

"I have spoken with Shang about this. There is a small grove of trees outside the Cities walls. An entrance has been installed quickly at the back of the City, near the Three Walkways, that leads directly into the Palace, right next to the River Yi. You will do your studies first in the library with Shang and then go do archery in the forest. I have already had targets and everything needed set up there. I will not have the underhand ways of the Council ruin my son's life. Already too much of it has been wasted."

"My friend should not deal with this also," said Shang. "Your father has given me leave of the Guard to be your 'guard.'"

Tai smiled and tried to get up. A rabbit was suddenly on his chest, pushing him down.

"No!" she exclaimed. "You should not get up. You're lucky that shop-keeper knew what he was doing. You have several bones broken in your tail and one of your ribs is fractured."  
>Tai looked around wildly. Who was this bunny fussing over him?<p>

Sun saw the look in her son's eyes.

"This is Ming. She is one of the best healers in the City."

Tai relaxed visibly on the bed. Ming scurried off muttering as she stirred whatever concoction was brewing in the kettle. What was in it, nobody wanted to know. A goose knocked on the door.

"Speak from behind it," said Kun.

"Your Lordship, the Council requires your presence," said the messenger shakily.

Kun rubbed his temples and crossed his arms so the volumes of his sleeves hid his paws and arms.

"Forgive me, Tai, I wish I could spend more time with you, but, I must go. I have a hearing I must attend. Chances are somebody probably insulted somebody again and they brought it to court. Stupid aristocrats and bureaucrats and the rest, why can't it all go to hell?" Kun said, muttering the last bit beneath his breath.

Shang chuckled, as he understood a bit what the Lord of Mengyou City was going through. He hated the Council as much as any member of the Guard. The Golden cat got a chair for Sun Nushi. She sat down on it, thanking Shang.

"Ming said that you only have to be in bed for a day or two, and then you can move around. It won't be until a month that you can go back to archery."

Tai sighed. He would just read a lot. Sun leaned closer to Tai and whispered into his ear.

"And don't think we didn't know about you teaching Shang to read. We know. Don't worry about it. You can teach him. It'll be our royal scandal."

Sun laughed.

"Now, I must get go. I have a banquet for one of the numerous pomp Ladies out there in the factions of the City. If I don't attend, well, things will go downhill. I agree with what your father has to say about it all. Worse of all, it's with the Rhino's. Sad to think I can't do anything but put on a smile and pretend like everything is going fine."

Sun looked away from her son. A single tear fell from her face. Shang looked shocked to see his ruler cry.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. This will be sorted out. I have an idea that will help Tai, thanks to the Grove of Tranquility. The trees will provide a good way to escape."

Sun thanked Shang for the words of encouragement and left the room.

"So, what's first today?" asked Shang.

Tai didn't answer. He had fallen asleep. Ming jumped up and waved a paw, catching Shang's attention.

"He's asleep. Don't bother him. It will help speed up his healing process. Ugh, you warrior people. Don't know anything about what I do."

As Ming turned her back, the Golden cat rolled his eyes back and flipped her off.

Tai's recovery went well. Within the time, Shang had told Tai of his ideas for escape in case Curo found the Grove of Tranquility.

"You're going to have to work hard, you won't be used to it, but when you get the hang of it, it'll be an invaluable asset."

Tai understood his friend's implications and went back to reading and studying the plan.

The month passed by and as Tai's bandages were undone, he stretched. There was no pain. So, his ribs were fine. As the bandages were taken off around his tail, he noticed a bend his tail.

"Will it always be like this, crooked?" asked Tai, open mouthed.

Ming didn't look at Tai, but started inspecting his tail.

"Yes."

"Oh."

"It's just a tail! It still serves its purpose. Don't fret over it."

Tai nodded, though slightly saddened by his bent tail. Always at a forty-five degree angle about a foot down from the tip.

"It kinda looks cool. Almost as if you have survived something…..well, you did. So, it's like a battle scar. Makes you look tougher," Shang said. He hoped that this would help Tai.

Tai looked at Shang with a face that said _yeah, mmhm, if you say so_. Shang shrugged.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? It does!"

Tai said nothing but instead got out of bed. The two goats came in faster than Shang thought they could move and helped Tai get dressed.

"Off to the University?" asked Tai.

"No, your father said library first, then archery. In fact, he said you could stop school. The Masters are thinking of letting you begin at there Workshops. You could learn what you wanted to and nothing else. They still have yet to decide, but what is your old school benefiting you?"

"Nothing really, though, I do kind of enjoy it," mumbled Tai.

"Well, just think. You'll be learning with Master Scholars soon, not crotchety old professors." Shang shuddered as he remembered one of his old teachers.

"Yes."

They walked to the library quickly. Hoping Curo wouldn't be in there path. Thankfully, it was daytime, and lots of people were out, making it difficult for Curo to do anything. They made it to the library unscathed and began were they had left off. Shang got right into his reading and writing while Tai read up on archery, geometry, and climbing. It wasn't long before Tai could hear Shang mumbling curses as he tried to write some of the more difficult characters. Tai smiled and offered help, but Shang refused, wanting to do this on his own. Tai went back to his reading but was soon interrupted by Shang.

"Could you help me," he said sheepishly.

Tai picked up the pen and showed Shang the correct brushstrokes and patterns needed. Shang thanked him and went back to work. Shang finished up on what he was working on, and got up.

"Let's go. Archery and that escape plan."

Tai's heart skipped a beat. Finally, something that will help him with his problem! He followed Shang after picking up his longbow and quiver. He had left the normal bow back at the armory, preferring the longbow.

They walked in a zigzag manner as they made their way there way outside of the city and to the Grove of Tranquility. When they reached it, Tai looked up in wonder at the massive trees that towered above everything but the walls of Mengyou City.

"Come on, let's go."

Tai followed Shang into the Grove and then stopped as they came to a clearing. The clearing was circular with about two hundred feet in diameter. It had movable targets on the northwest side of the clearing. On the far North, it had a small wall filled with arrows and different types of bows; a few blades here and there, but mostly bows and arrows. On the southeast side of the clearing what looked like a small house.

"What's that for," asked Tai motioning toward the house.

"I don't know really. I guess they just found it," said Shang truthfully. "Alright, lets get started with that plan, then we can work on archery, ok?"

Tai nodded.

"Now, you gotta climb one of these trees, right? Very few in Curo's group can climb trees, maybe that lynx, but I don't know about the rest. So, what tree are you going to climb first?"

"You mean, what tree am I going to climb, right?"

"No, I meant first. You are going to have to jump around in these. They're close enough that it won't be too difficult, it'll be fun."

"What if I fall?

"Well, you don't want that now do you? So don't!"

Tai groaned and pointed out a tree.

"Good choice. It has a branch low enough that you can get to it and the branches are strong enough. Let's begin."

Shang then showed Tai how to climb trees and jump from branch to branch. He taught Tai balance and how to actually use his claws for something other than picking his fangs. Then, told him to climb the tree. Tai got down on all fours and tensed up, readying himself for the jump to the first branch. He pounced. He barely was able to grab the branch. He fell. Tai landed on the ground with a dull thud. Shang walked over to him, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I'm fine," muttered Tai, not letting the Golden cat saying anything. He got up and tried again. He succeeded this time. Pulling himself up onto the first branch he began Shang's lesson on how to balance. He slowly got on two legs and closed his eyes. Immediately he felt his balance leave him and he clung to the tree trunk.

"You have to learn how to balance and be quick at climbing!" Shang called up to Tai.

Tai nodded nervously and crept out onto the branch again. Balancing himself with his eyes open, he closed them. He was able to hold there for a bit.

"Now walk forward, use your claws too! Use them for grip."

Tai extended the claws at his footpaws and he felt them dig into the branch, giving him extra support. He walked forward slowly, yet felt his confidence build.

"Watch out!"

Tai's eyes snapped open. He was at the end of the branch. He stopped.

"Climb up to the next branch, c'mon!"

Tai leapt up the next branch. He then balanced on it like Shang had instructed him to.

"Go on to the next few. I'll catch up once you're there."

"Ok!"

Tai complied by climbing as fast as he dared. Once he was a good height, he called down.

"How's this?"

"Perfect. Now watch. With practice you'll be able to do this."

Tai looked down in astonishment as Shang jumped easily to the first branch and flipped up to the second one. Shang then ran up the tree at a vertical incline then reached the branch below Tai. Getting onto the branch fully, he back flipped up to the branch directly above Tai where he dropped down and hung by his tail. Tai looked up and down at Shang, from the tip of his tail – he noted the stress it seemed to put on Shang's tail – all the way to Shang's head were a grin sat on his face.

"Incredible," breathed Tai.

"You should see the Master's. They do this without breaking a sweat. Unlike me, this tired me out as it is."

Tai suddenly felt adventurous.

"Let's go higher!"

Shang just got upright and continued climbing. Tai followed slowly behind him. As they neared the top, Shang motioned for Tai to stop.

"If we go any higher, we will fall as the branches are weaker at the top. That, and we will mess up her nest."

Tai looked at were Shang pointed. There was a nest with a resting mother robin and her eggs. The two of them then walked out as far as they could go and looked at the River Yi flow between the split City.

"This view is wonderful, how the Palace artists would love to get this," said Tai.

"Sure is, but, enough of the daydreaming, lets get down without climbing."

"And that's possible how?"

Shang smiled at Tai.

"How tough are your paws? Soft most likely. Well then, since they are, here's my gloves."

Tai put on the gloves, they were a bit small, but when he realized what they were for, he was glad he had them. Shang took his bow out and fitted an unusual looking arrow to the string. The shaft was made out of metal and the tip was split into three hooks that curved upward. A grappling hook. Shang took a piece of rope out and tied it to the end of the grappling hook arrow and then around the trunk.

"I know what you're thinking. This is crazy, well, don't worry, 'cause it is!"

Shang fired the arrow at the ground. Looking down, he saw that it had penetrated the ground. He tugged on the rope, it was secure.

"After you," he motioned with a mischievous grin on his face.

Tai put his glove-covered paws on the rope like Shang told him to.

"Are you sure about…THIS?" yelled Tai as Shang pushed him down.

"Just don't let go!"

_And why would I_, thought Tai to himself as he hurled down the tree. What had taken him minutes to go up only took seconds to get to the ground. As he neared it, he tucked in and rolled, as Shang had told him to do. The Golden cat wasn't far behind. Landing softer than Tai, though still roughly, he got up and asked Tai for his gloves back. Tai was just staring at the sky. Shang rolled his eyes and picked the gloves of the tiger's paws. After putting them on he picked up Tai. Tai blinked.

"That…..was….exhilarating."

Shang agreed. "Archery time."

As the sun went down, Tai and Shang went to the back door of the Palace. They knocked on the section Kun had told them to knock on. They did so and a pig guard admitted them in.

"Welcome back, Your Majesty," said the pig, bowing low.

"Thank you," said the tiger.

They walked down the brightly lit corridors, careful to not have their fur catch on fire. At the end of the hallway, they found themselves at a ladder that led straight up. Shang climbed it first, and opened the hatch. He found himself in the middle of the outer Palace. Shang climbed out and Tai followed.

"What about Jingli?" asked Tai, turning to go visit the old crane.

"I am sorry, but you will have to do it in the morning. I'm sure he will understand," said his father's voice. "I am happy that you found the door. How was your day?"

"Good father, thank you. This was the second best day."

"Second, how so?"

"The first was when I first met Shang and started archery."

"Ah yes," said Kun Zhu, smiling. "I should have known. Shang, you have been invaluable. If you need anything, let me know."

Shang bowed to Kun.

"Thank you, but I already have all that I need."

Kun blinked at Shang, turned and walked away.

The two friends then retired to their own chambers for the night.

The next day, Tai was up early and went to visit Jingli before his studies began at the Master's Hall, as the Master's had agreed to let him study. Shang met him by the gates, as usual, and Tai led them to the crane's shop.

He knocked on the shop-keepers door.

"We're not open!" came the crane's voice.

"Are you sure?"

The door opened and the crane bowed low,

"What is the honor of royalty visiting my humble shop?"

"To say hello after when he should have; I am sorry I wasn't able to say hello to you yesterday night. I will have to visit you at these times from now on, is that okay?"

"How could I say no? Of course it is okay! You are welcome here so long as you stay who you are."

Tai laughed,

"Why would I change?"

"You never know…." Jingli said then walked to the table. "Tea?"

"Yes, please."

With the tea made soon afterwards, the old friends talked while Shang looked at Jingli's oddities and products with curiosity that Tai had never seen displayed in Shang. After their tea was finished, Jingli told them it was time to open his shop and that they'd best get to the Hall. Shang had been told he was not allowed into the Hall itself, so he stayed in the lunchroom. Some of the Masters their decided to teach the strategy game of chess to Shang, so Tai didn't feel bad about leaving him there alone. The studies went by quicker than the old school had gone by, so they had more time at the library and out at the Grove of Tranquility. The next day Tai visited Jingli telling him of his previous day.

This carried on for little less than a year until Tai was stronger than he had ever been before in both mind and body. One day, Tai told Shang something that blew Shang's mind.

"I want to climb the Cities walls."

Shang looked at Tai incredulously.

"Are you sick?"

"Probably, but I still want to do this. Just for fun."

"You must be drunk or something."

"I'm not. I feel perfectly fine actually. Better than in years."

"And if you fall?"

"It will be my last mistake."

"Then let's hope this won't be your last."

Tai looked up at the Cities massive walls. They weren't the best, with indents and outcroppings of rock, but they were tall – near one hundred and fifty feet tall, some of the tallest in all China. He looked at the walls, studying them like he had last night with the scrolls. He noted every nook and cranny, as Shang told him to look for.

_Speaking of Shang_, thought Tai as Shang walked up carrying four sets boots and gloves. He tossed Tai a pair of boots and a pair of gloves.

"Put 'em on. These will help you climb. Found 'em in your father's armory – don't worry, he let me use them. The grip on the palm and tips is made of diamond and steel. Also, it has openings to allow your claws to extend. You ready? Alright, let's go scare some Guards."

Tai noted the first indent and started climbing. He looked for each crevice and outcropping of the wall, as the book told him to. He leapt from each position with ease that he would have never had.

Shang looked up to see the prince rocket ahead.

"Playing that game, are we?" muttered Shang to himself and he increased his pace. He soon passed Tai. Tai noted Shang's taken of the lead and continued. He looked down and vertigo clutched him. He froze, unable to move. He closed his eyes and prayed to his ancestors.

"What's holding you up?" Shang called down.

Tai snapped out of it at the sound of his friend's voice. He started climbing again. Shang had slowed his pace to be there for Tai incase something like that happened again. They were halfway – right around seventy-five feet. As they passed sixty feet, they suddenly got very tired and they climbed slower than usual.

_Climbing vertical, not the best idea of mine,_ Tai mused to himself as he climbed, sweat pouring off his brow and into his eyes at time. _But, it might be useful to know how to climb a wall_.

Twenty more minutes passed and they finally reached the top. They paused there, catching there breath.

"One, two, three, leap!" said Shang.

Shang vaulted the top and the sound of surprised Guards reached Tai's ears. He laughed as he got over the guardrails less smoothly than Shang. He collapsed on the floor breathing hard and holding his paws up in the air. Shang stood by him panting. The wolf and sheep guard looked at each other and then back at the prince and the Golden cat that had just appeared.

"Is Your Majesty going to be fine?" asked the sheep.

"No, I'm not fine. I just climbed the Mengyou City walls! I am fine though. Just…..need….to….catch my breath."

Nodding the stunned guards went back to their posts.

"I'm not doing that again," said Shang, still panting.

"Good, because if you were, you would be doing it alone."


	4. Conquest

A/N: I hope you are enjoying it so far. Here come the real bad guys.

* * *

><p>The hooded figures stood on one of the freezing peaks of Tavan Bogd, a mountain range along the border of China and Mongolia. Less than five hundred feet away was Chorh-Gom Prison, home to the most deadly criminals of all China. One of the hooded figures snarled at the entrance and started to lift his paw.<p>

"Leave it down, let us still watch. If we know our enemy before we attack, we will have an even better chance," said one, pushing the other's paw down.

"But why, Xisong? We have spies _everywhere_! They have told us all we need to know!"

"Patience, Canku. Remember how the last siege went when our signal was too early?"

Canku looked away, his teeth bared. It had not gone well. Many troops had been lost. Even though they had won, it had been bloodier than they needed.

Xisong looked up at the two figures in black at the top of the entrance. They shifted.

"Now."

Canku grinned, raised a paw, and howled into the wind. The wolf's howl cut through the blizzard winds. The rhino guards at the massive doors readied their spears. The two figures dropped down from their loft heights and landed on the rhino's heads jabbing a dagger into their eye socket, piercing their brains. The two black figures caught the massive rhino's and let them fall softly to the snow covered stone, blood flowing out of where they once had eyes. The two figures were quickly joined by the two wolves and the rest of the wolves' army.

The ragtag looking army was very disciplined. With each species given instructions on how they were to act and what they needed to do in certain situations, this army had grown and obliterated everything in their way. Chorh-Gom Prison was to be their first major victory in China. Everything had been set-up exactly how they needed it to be. Canku motioned for a gazelle with one horn to open the door.

"How long will it take?"

"No time at all. The key is right there."

"Fools, they have given their enemy the key."

The gazelle opened the door. Canku and Xisong looked forward. There was sitting in a stone chair was a rhino with a very shocked expression on his face. Xisong howled. From all over Chorh-Gom Prision, rhino guards turned on their fellow companions without warning. A rhino cleaved the head off one of his close friends. It rolled in front of Canku. He cackled at the dead rhino's head and walked forward, pushing the head out of his way.

"You have an option, my friend. Join us on our conquest of China or die. I know what my decision would be, but I will leave it up to you."

"And you decision would be for me to join your army, would it be, wolf?"

Xisong smiled and answered for her mate instead.

"No, we would prefer to kill you."

"Then I will die in…"

The rhino never finished. The two wolves pounced at the rhino. Xisong pulled out two daggers. She sunk one into the rhino's armpit and the other into his stomach. Canku instead took his dagger and slowly brought it to the rhino's throat and cut in. He slowly brought it to the rhino's throat. Blood flowed freely.

"You can finish your sentence," hissed Canku. "You finished with die? Are you sure still? I can end your suffering right now. We can treat you and you can join the ranks of the most powerful army in all China."

The Chorh-Gom Prision warden spit blood into Canku's face. The wolf just licked it off his face. Some still clung to Canku's fur, giving him a ghastly appearance. The prison was silent, the last cries of battle fading. They waited for the rhino warden to give his answer. The rhino didn't answer. Canku's patience wore thin and he pushed the knife deeper into the rhino's body and pulled, almost cutting the throat. The rhino screamed – a harsh, gravelly scream. Canku quickly silenced it by cutting the throat all the way. The wind rushed up from the windpipe as the rhino's lungs collapsed.

The bloodied wolves jumped off as the dead corpse fell.

"I never did like it when a rhino screams," muttered Canku. "The most unholy noise."

"Yet you are as black a soul as ever," replied Xisong.

Canku laughed.

"You share the same blood as me, let it not be forgotten."

The two turned simultaneously to look at one of their officers. A vulture.

"How has it gone, Siwang?"

"None other than perfect, the prisoners have not retaliated."

"Good, bring them here."

The criminals were led to kneel in front of the wolf leaders.

"You are the most feared in China, am I not mistaken? Or you were. Until those who put you down put you in chains."

A general murmur came from the assorted crowd.

"I give to you a chance to come with me in a conquest of China and fight for me. You will have a portion of the spoils and I will give you a full pardon. What say you?"

Xisong laughed softly at her mates words. Criminals were so gullible. They thought the pardon was for life. As soon as they committed another crime, they would pay double the punishment. It would be fun watching their faces as they were sent back with whatever physical inflictions they had condemned them to bear.

"Will you join us?" cried Canku once again.

A roar of enthusiasm met Canku.

"Then grab your weapons, we head for Mengyou City in three days!"

Canku, Xisong, Siwang, and their other most trusted officers sat at a map of China, a blood red dot marked were Mengyou City was. Other red dot's littered the map, though they were smaller than four of them.

"We shall take Mengyou City first, as it is closest. Next, we shall take the Valley of Peace. Bear in mind this: we will not do it in all one succession. When we attack, we attack with swiftness so that no word can escape to the other targets. After Mengyou City, we shall march to the Valley of Peace, destroying those who defy us along the way. We shall catch them before word of Mengyou Cities fall reaches their ears. They will not know what to do. Twelve thousand trained killers against only seven won't be too difficult. After the first two have fallen, Gongmen City shall fall. We shall use the same tactic. Finally, a location that we shall not share with you at this time will be our last major target before we can disperse the army and conquer the rest of China and those who still appose us."

Siwang raised a wing.

"Yes Siwang," said Xisong silkily.

"How are we to attacked Mengyou City? The city is literally City of Allies. With the force of all those clans tied together in the city, it will be difficult."

Canku leaned back on his chair and pulled out a dagger. Everyone, except Xisong, tensed.

"Do you remember that robin I asked you to send to Mengyou City?"

Siwang nodded.

"Today, you will have a male robin fly to her and tell her the news. The male robin will look as if her husband is returning from a long journey of some sort, which he is in a way. She will then tell those we have positioned in Mengyou City. We have many."

"It will take a while though, close to three months, even with flying."

"Yes, but it will take us six months to traverse to Mengyou City. They will have three months to prepare. We will wait as long as we must, but not over six months. He will have to fly fast. Once we are there, we will strike without warning other than the howl of a wolf!"

He finished the sentence by burying the dagger directly on the dot that represented Mengyou City.

"We are not stupid. We have learned from our past. We have been planning for this for a period of time you don't need to know. Our oldest spies reside in Mengyou City and are loyal to use no matter what," said Xisong. "The Mengyou Betrayal is one of our most thought out plans. Nothing has ever come close to its precision."

"What of the Valley of Peace?" asked a bear. "They have the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five. Do we have spies there?"

Canku growled as he spoke.

"We have a spy places there – just one. That one spy will make all the difference."

"And how will one traitor make all the difference?"

"He has a certain position in the Valley that will make him most valuable. The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior are a threat, we do acknowledge that. There is one thing that each has become attached to. Their beloved Grand Master Shifu. With him eliminated, the Five and the Dragon Warrior become but broken beings driven on by grief. They will take risks for vengeance they would have taken if they were without pain. Physiological warfare does things to people that normal hurts and threats don't. Granted, they have been hardened by their training, yet that makes them all the more vulnerable. Hard training does more harm that it does good, yet the bad doesn't show itself until something happens."

Xisong continued were her mate left off,

"Let us just make it clear to you numbskulls. If you follow our orders, we will be victorious.

"And Gongmen City? What of that?"

"Must we spell everything out? Have I not made ourselves clear? We have made plans! But don't worry, we won't look too far ahead," replied Xisong in a tight voice. "As long as we aim for China, but take the steps like we have today, we will be victorious."

The officers didn't look pleased, but they accept their leader's words.

"Off you go, let the troops rest for two days, we leave on the third before the sun has risen. Let our conquest begin!"

The officers cheered quietly, got up, bowed, then left.

As soon as they were gone, Canku and Xisong sat in a bed they found, sipping wine from stone goblets. Canku leaned back against the backboard.

"Our conquest is going to be amazing."

Xisong put her goblet down. She motioned for Canku to do the same. Canku eyed his mate with his pale yellow eyes but complied.

"It will be amazing, yes it will. But tonight we celebrate."

Canku smiled at what she meant.


	5. A Warning Denied

Shang sat in a tree watching Tai shoot arrows with accuracy he had gained over practice. Shang didn't realize how old Tai actually was. He had always thought Tai younger, though now he didn't know why he had thought that. Tai had been really naïve, therefore making himself look young, but his exercises with Shang had helped Tai become much stronger, though, he was still weaker than most tiger's his own age. Tai know seemed close enough to his age, whatever it was. Tai never did tell him; the tiger had ears had grown hot when the Golden cat asked that. He was embarrassed by his age and how people saw him.

The rhythmic twang of Tai's bow stopped. He looked down. Tai had frozen. Shang's ears immediately went straight up. The only other time he had seen Tai do this was when…..Curo!

He jumped down from branch to branch as fast as he could to reach his friend. He slapped Tai across the face. Tai blinked once but was still frozen.

"C'mon Tai, remember the escape plan!"

"Whahhhhh?" said Tai airily.

"Yeah, what escape plan?"

Shang turned slowly. There stepping out behind a tree was Curo.

"Finally found you! Though you did trick us for a full five months, damn you."

Shang bared his fangs and extended his claws, though he still couldn't do anything.

"Leave the little kitty alone, Guard. I know what sport he likes to play."

Shang refused to move. Curo sighed and made a motion with his large finger. A lynx appeared out of no where and knocked Shang out of the way. The lynx got up and turned her back on Shang. Shang got up.

"Don't touch me," warned the lynx.

Shang growled and was forced to watch as Tai was again beat up by Curo. Curo didn't take it any easier than before. He pounded on Tai's stomach and chest. The tiger tried to fend off a few of the punches feebly but to no avail. Curo stepped on the section that Tai's tail was bent at. Tai howled in pain. While Tai did so, Curo grasped Tai in a headlock. Curo laughed and proceeded to punch Tai in the stomach and stepped on his foot paw. Curo let go of his hold by accident when he stepped on Tai's foot paw. Taking the opportunity, Tai struggled to get to his 'climbing tree.' Curo caught up.

"Oh, you want to go in the tree, well here."

Curo threw Tai into the tree. Curo grunted at his mistake. Rhinos couldn't climb trees.

"Now I can't get him. Ugh. Somebody get him down."

The lynx went after Tai, but suddenly she was knocked down by a grey blur. Two other grey blurs came in. They landed. There in the clearing were three clouded leopards.

"I hate bullies, don't you, dad?" asked one of the leopards to the other.

"Yes, I don't like them," said one, presumable the dad, and what seemed to be the only male in the group. "What about you, honey?"

"Agreed," said the one. "I one hundred percent agree with you, my wise husband."

The male smirked.

"Then, let's tell them to stop."

"What?" asked a surprised Curo.

The three clouded leopards suddenly attacked. They attacked with such swiftness none were able to escape their fury. One of the females, most likely the daughter, went straight at Curo. The rhino snorted and tensed. He spread his legs out and got his arms into the position he wanted. The female leopard then slid underneath Curo and kicked him between the legs. Curo eyes went wide with pain. But the leopard was not finished with him. Getting up, she did three aerial kicks on the back of the rhino's head before he fell. She then back flipped on top of him, landing a kick right to the stomach. The rhino lay on his back, not know what to do.

"I'll give you a hint," said the young female clouded leopard. "Get out of here!"

The rhino got up, holding his crotch, and followed the rest of his gang.

Shang walked up to the two adult clouded leopards and bowed low.

"Thank you for intervening, otherwise they would have done more."

"You are most welcome. Are you his friend?"

Before Shang could answer, the young female spoke.

"Well, if he is, he is the worst friend ever."

The mother scolded her.

"We do not know the circumstances these two are in. What laws they are under. Also, before you insult someone, at least get to know them."

Shang raised an eyebrow at the odd rebuke. He went to go help Tai out of the tree. With the tiger safely on the ground, only then did the trio introduce themselves.

"I am Fei, husband of Mi," he motioned to the older female leopard, "and father of Mei Faxian. We are the Liulan family." He finished by pointed out the young female clouded leopard.

The three bowed. Shang didn't know what to do. Tai did though.

"My friend here is Shang and I am Tai of the Shandian Clan of Tigers."

Fei's eyes lit up.

"Ah, then we have found a good ally. We have a message for your father, Kun Zhu. I assume he still rules here as Lord of the City."

"He does. And many thanks for stopping them." Tai tried to bow but fell on the ground, still a bit woozy from the beatings he had received early in the fight.

Mei smiled just a bit. Shang helped him up.

"I can take you to my father, though he is busy right now, so it wouldn't be until later. If you would like, I can show you around Mengyou City. It would be a very thorough tour."

The family of three nodded and the now five walked away from the Grove of Tranquility to the City.

They neared the City walls when they noticed a small red flag standing upright on the ground.

"What's that," inquired Mi.

"That," said Shang proudly, "is where Tai and I scaled the walls."

"You are saying this truthfully, it is not a lie?"

"One hundred percent truth," said Tai to his friend's aid.

They reached the North Gate were let in. The family looked around, very interested. As they walked through the streets, Tai gave as much knowledge as he could to the three leopards. Whenever they asked questions he would answer to the best of his abilities. They visited the Training Halls, the Library, and the Gardens. Each time they reached something new, the father or mother would point out a specific place to their daughter. What they said had no meaning to Shang and Tai, so they kept out of their private family matters.

"Now, it is dinner time, and my parents are at a rather long banquet, so I shall treat you to a dinner at a very wonderful place."

"Please don't, we don't eat fancy food."

"Good," Tai laughed, "Because that is not at all what I planned. Anyways, I am not allowed into the most of prestigious restaurants without my parents, for they have a rather extreme age limit. No exceptions."

"Then where are we going," asked Mei.

"A little noodle shop – it's not very well known by the city folk, but it has the best noodle soup you could every want."

"I doubt that, have you ever tried Mr. Ping's secret noodle soup?" said Mei.

"Who's that?" Tai and Shang both said together.

"Never mind, you wouldn't know who he was. He's not in Mengyou City."

"Ok then, if I ever do meet Mr. Ping, I will have some of his soup," said Tai.

"And you will never go back."

Tai nodded but rolled his eyes. Shang chuckled. This Mei was interesting, not to mention her family.

The soup smelt incredible as they walked into the thin shop. The shop consisted of one long room with a kitchen at the back. A sheep stood at the counter and a rabbit was busy making more soup. The entire thing was made out of wood and stone, with little metalwork anywhere. The tables were high enough for Shang and Tai to sit at, but low enough for a small animal to sit comfortably at it. The sheep bowed to Tai. Tai nodded in return.

"How can I help you today, young Sire?"

"Six bowls of your noodle soup please."

Tai handed the sheep a handful of coins in advanced as the rabbit dished out six bowls of fresh, hot noodle soup. Taking up a few and handing them out, they picked a spot near the entrance were the shop got the most light. Shang took the second one and as quick as any military trained animal, ate them faster than Tai could ever imagine one eating. The other three were slower than Shang, but still faster than Tai.

Mi was the first to speak.

"This is very good noodle soup…"

"…..but…" continued on Fei.

"Not as good as Mr. Ping's. A close second though, very close second," finished Mei already licking the bottom of the bowl for the leftover noodles.

Tai shook his head.

"I swear, I will have to try Mr. Ping's noodles, even if it is the last thing I do."

"Don't say that, it might come true," said Fei.

Shang laughed along with Tai.

"Sorry, it's just that I have said that before, and, thank my ancestors, it didn't happen," explained Tai to the three inquisitive snow leopards. As soon as Tai explained that he had said that when he asked to climb the City walls, their smiles returned and they laughed as well. Not as loudly, for they still thought Fei was right.

They walked out of the shop feeling very satisfied. The night sky was beginning to take over the bright blue sky of the day and the sun was beginning to cast pink and red light.

"We must find an inn. Can you please direct us to one?" asked Mi.

"Absolutely not," replied Tai, folding his arms. "You have done me a favor and have a message for my father therefore you will stay in the Mengyou Palace. You can take the guest suite. It has not been used in forever so it will finally be put to use."

"You are sure your parents would be fine with this?"

"I have no doubts."

"Then it will be an honor to stay there."

The three leopards bowed to Tai as Fei finished his sentence.

"Shang, would you show them to the Palace. I need to visit an old friend."

"I will," said Shang, a bit too enthusiastically. He noticed Shang's eyes dart at Mei. He smiled, he knew what Shang was thinking.

"Just don't go too fast, enjoy the sights along the way," Tai said, hoping that Shang got his subtle message.

Thankfully Shang did seem to get the message as he winked at Tai and then announced that they would follow him.

_Love will do the wildest things_.

Tai walked alone to Jingli's. He didn't really worry about Curo. He was probably at home, nursing his wounded pride. Tai smiled. That rhino finally got what he deserved.

Tai knocked on the door of Jingli's.

"What is the honor of royalty visiting my humble shop?" was Jingli's immediate response.

"Just saying hello on the most wonderful night," replied Tai.

"And is it really? What makes tonight so special?"

The crane got the tea ready and Tai sat at the table waiting patiently for the crane to return.

"Today, Curo finally got what he deserved."

The crane suddenly fixed his eyes on Tai.

"How so? You didn't fight him did you? I thought you didn't like violence?"

"I don't and I didn't beat him. A group of clouded leopards by the family name of Liulan did. Just in time too. Curo had just thrown me into a tree like a little boy does with a ball. Out came the leopards and they beat them off. Guess they got cocky enough to believe no one would stand up to them."

The crane nodded,

"That does make sense. It often takes an outside mind to do the impossible. Or what seems like the impossible. So does this mean the Curo will not bother you anymore?"

"Sadly, no. As soon as they leave, Curo will be out for vengeance. Though, I didn't do anything to him, yet I will bear the attack. Still, a week of absolute no worry is enough to make my heart sing with joy."

"Yes, to relax is sometimes the greatest gift, though it can become deadly as it turns out it is very addicting to some," mused the crane. "Mostly the royal experience this, no offense."

"None taken."

"Good, now how about we do relax. I just got a chess set, would you like to play?"

"No need to ask me, but be warned, I have beaten some of the top Masters."

"As have I."

The crane was dead serious. Tai was forced to think longer and harder than he had ever done before. Tai thought he had the crane in a certain place, but the crane was able to wiggle out of it and get back at Tai. The tiger and crane played for over two hours before finally the crane called,

"I win."

Tai collapsed, too exhausted from the mental exertion to check. Tai got himself him and wiped the sweat from his eyes. All he saw in the crane's expression was a smile. The crane put the pieces and board back into the box it came from and put it behind the desk.

"How did you do that?" Tai breathed.

"A story for another time," said the crane mysteriously.

"With all these stories I have asked for and you have denied, you best find a lot of time, because I really want to know these stories."

The crane turned to face Tai.

"Then you shall have to wait even longer than the time it takes me to tell you the stories I have promised."

"Patience is another thing I have been working on, so I will wait."

"Good, now you will have to wait to see me again tomorrow. I bid you farewell Tai."

The tiger said goodbye and walked out of Jingli's shop. He looked up at the stars and said a quick prayer of thanks. The stars twinkled like mad. Tai laughed quietly, feeling happy.

"Mr. Fei, Mrs. Mi, Mistress Mei, my son has said you have a message for me," said Kun Zhu.

The following morning, the leopard family had breakfast and got ready for their audience with Kun. Shang seemed googly eyed when Mei walked out of her room with a stunning dress on. "It's not polite to stare," said Tai politely. Shang just stared even more. When they finally got in, as there was a long line of citizens who wanted an audience, Kun immediately welcomed them and thanked them for their assistance with Curo.

"It was nothing," said Fei. "I first would like to notify you of a storm heading your way, though that really is of little importance. My main concern is the army that is heading your way."

"What is this army you speak of," asked Kun, suddenly alert. "No army has been sighted for more than half a century."

"Yes, but that is mostly likely because this army is just a month's journey away."

Sun giggled at Fei's response.

"Who is leading this army?"

"We don't know," said Mi. "They saw us as we saw them. Thankfully we were quick enough that they thought us their imagination. At least I hope."

Kun looked at Fei and Mi thoughtfully.

"You are certain of this."

Fei and Mi shook their heads vigorously.

Mei leaned close to Tai and whispered in his ear,

"How I wish I could be there with them, it would be fun to talk with your father. He is known around China. He seems so serious, yet so serious that he could burst out laughing at anytime. Is that what he is like?"

Tai looked at Mei. She was serious.

"I'll tell you later," he whispered back. Mei shrugged then went back to her position.

"There were many troops, too many to count at a glance," said Fei. "And estimating will only provide a false sense of hope or despair. Yet, if I did guess, it would be about one-hundred thousand."

"Are you serious?" thundered Kun.

"No," said Mi. "It was more around twelve thousand or less."

Kun relaxed just a bit. At least it wasn't the earlier number. That number would be fatal to any city or town, even with kung fu Masters at their defense. Twelve thousand was a bit more manageable. He had a whole Guard at his disposal along with many kung fu Masters and warriors.

"Thank you for this information. It has been most helpful. I will talk to the Council about it. If you can come with me, thank you." Kun turned to the wolf guard. "Tell the rest that they will have to come back another day. I am busy and have my plate now full."

The wolf guard bowed and walked out the door. His voice was heard along with the many groans of disappointment and the patter of hooves, paws, and the flutter of wings as the crowd left.

"Where are my parents going?" asked Mei.

"To the damn Council," said Shang. "The Council listens to almost no one but themselves. Not even when the message is as urgent as this. Let us hope for the best."

"In the meantime," Tai said. "Let's go around the City again and actually go into the shops."

Shang looked at the tiger prince, Tai smiled mischievously back. He slid next to Shang.

"Best get your money out for your lady friend."

Shang swung at Tai playfully. He ducked just in time but fell on the floor. Shang helped up Tai. Mei just looked at the two with a curious expression.

"Off we go!" exclaimed Shang.

"What shop do you want to visit first?" asked Tai to either of them. "We have lots. A flower shop, jewelry shops, armor and arms shops, you name it, we probably have it."

Tai directed the first two shops at Shang. Shang failed to notice the verbal jab as he was too busy watching Mei's tail move back and forth. His eyes ran up and down her figure over and over again. His mind churned and thought the most sensual things. A dreamy look came over him, but Mei failed to notice as she was leading Tai and Shang to wherever she wanted to go. She stopped at a flower shop. Tai noticed Shang almost involuntarily reach down into his pockets and pull out a gold coin. Tai moved to him and took the gold coin.

"Not so fast, remember, enjoy the sights," Tai warned then handed back Shang's coin. The Golden cat nodded and put the coin back into his pockets. Mei walked around the City before she finally found a shop she wanted to truly go into. It was a knife shop, but not just any knife shop. These specialized in the most intricate of knives – from the most strong fighting knives, to the most delicate and beautiful knives that one would not use for fighting. The three walked in and the shopkeeper bowed to Tai. Tai blinked in acknowledgment.

"Does it tire you of people always bowing you because you are royalty?" asked Mei as she leapt up on a barrel. Tai looked at Mei. She had changed out of the regal dress and now just wore boots, leather pants and a leather shirt. She also had one of her ears pierced and had a diamond earring in it. Her left ear had no earring but the top had been torn off. She still looked stunning, even in her travel outfit.

"Not really," Tai finally answered when he noticed Shang's expression.

_Oh yes, _Tai thought, _this is going to be Shang's girl_. He chuckled to himself.

Mei nodded then got of the barrel and began to look at the shopkeeper's wares. She suddenly stopped and just stared at one. It was a simple dirk, but still very pretty. It had a steel blade infused with silver giving it a slight luster. The guard was the same material as the blade, but it had the Chinese characters for strength, honor, defense, and offense inscribed over it. The handle was made of ivory with a rough fabric wrapped around it to give it grip with the Chinese character for Hope written in fine ink calligraphy. The very bottom was a button of pure silver. Mei gasped when she saw it. She sighed then.

"How much is it?" asked Mei to the monkey shopkeeper.

"This one? Well, I guess I'll ask for five-hundred. That's some of the best craftsmanship I have ever found."

Mei's face dropped in disappointment and she moved onto the other knives. Shang's expression lit up and then dropped almost at the same instant. Tai looked at the knife. He reached into his pocket and pull out a coin he thought he would never use. It was something he got for his birthday: a coin. The coin was worth well over the asking price of the knife. He was told it was his. He had never used it. He walked over to Shang.

"Make sure Mei doesn't get lost. I think she is leaving."

Shang turned and saw Mei leaving. He nodded at Tai in thanks and walked swiftly to catch up to her. Tai turned to the monkey.

"If I can have that knife that the girl was looking at please and a normal cutting knife," said Tai.

"A present for her?" said the monkey, putting the knife it's polished wood scabbard.

"Yes, but not from me. Don't forget the cutting knife, that's a decoy."

"You are a nice and sneaky one you are, young Sire," the monkey said with a wink. The shopkeeper handed Tai the bag with the two knives in it, the cutting knife on top.

As Tai turned to go out the store, he turned back.

"Did I hear you right? You said _found_ it?"

The monkey looked up. He stared intently at the tiger.

\"Yes, find it I did. Out and about I was, coming here from my old village. I found this in a forest or a jungle. It was pretty even with the rust on it. So, I took it and it's been in my stock ever since. I'm surprised no one animal has ever bought it."

"Well, this has an interesting story behind it probably."

"No doubts there, young sire. Perhaps you'll find it. I'll wager ten gold coins that it's back story is one to remember. If you'll excuse me, I have another customer."

A sheep had walked in the store without him noticing.

"Of course."

The monkey and sheep bowed in respect and turned to business.

Tai ambled out of the store, his mind coming up with numerous amounts of stories that this knife could have. It was certainly a good gift. He looked for Mei and Shang and spotted them sitting on a rickshaw cart. Mei was on the backrest while Shang sat in the normal riding spot. Mei was laughing as Shang told her a joke. Tai smiled and glanced up at the heavens.

_Please let this work out, Shang has never been so happy, _he whispered in his mind to his ancestors. His ancestors weren't Shang's, but maybe they would talk.

"What's in the bag," asked Shang.

"A cutting knife for my mother, I know she likes cooking, so I got this for her birthday," lied Tai.

"Your mother's birthday is today?" asked Shang. "I thought it was….."

Tai shook his head and pulled back his lips just enough to show is teeth. Shang looked at Tai with a shocked expression. Tai had _never_ done that. As soon as Tai had done that, he let it go.

"Why don't we keep walking? Maybe visit the Grove of Tranquility?"

Mei's eyes lit up.

"Is that the archery place?"

"Yes it is," said Shang.

"Then let's go!"

This time, Mei didn't bound ahead of them like last time. She walked closer, though was still in front of them. Also, Tai noticed she walked next to Shang. Tai motioned Shang to come closer to him. Shang did so slowly.

"What," he hissed. "I am finally getting closer to Mei. I know it's only been a day or two….."

"That's not what I'm going to talk to you about, calm down! I'm just telling you I got the knife that Mei looked at. When I feel that you should give it to her, I will hand it over. No charge. It will be a gift from you to her; I will have had nothing to do with it. She's yours, okay?"

"Thanks man! I'll remember, walk slowly, and enjoy the sights. And I guarantee you I _am_ enjoying the sights."

They reached the Grove of Tranquility and Mei immediately grabbed a bow and arrow. She shot with professionalism and efficiency. Tai envied her skills. Shang just stared.

"How about a game?" Tai suggested. "I'll do nothing and you two masters can shoot arrows."

"Fine with me, I bet you ten pieces of gold I can hit the end of an arrow that had originally hit the center."

"Deal."

"Watch me."

_I am_, thought Shang.

Mei picked up two arrows and walked to one of the targets. The two males watched Mei with interest at what she was doing. She stuck the arrow into the center and then pushed the other arrow into the back of the previous, splitting it.

"That's cheating!" exclaimed Shang. Tai just laughed loudly.

"No its not," said Mei walked back. She stepped behind Shang and ran her tail around Shang. Shang expression told everything. "It's just using your wits. I never said I would fire them from a bow! I just said I could hit it! And now I am using my feminine charm to make you believe everything I say."

"Maybe just a bit," admitted Shang. Then quickly added at the end, "But…..umm…."

Mei laughed.

"At least you are honest, though you could have just left it at your first remark. Most men just deny it. I hate it when they try to be tough. I think it's better to get to know someone for who they are."

"Yeah," said Shang, both glad and disappointed as Mei stopped touching him and sat down next to a tree. She looked up it. This was her first time here at Mengyou City. She spied the red dot against the solid rock walls that towered above the city. She slowly smiled. Tai followed her line of vision.

"Oh dear," muttered Tai.

"Let's go climb that wall again!"

From up above in a tree, a robin watched intently at the events below her.

Tai stood at the top of the battlements looking down as Shang and Mei climbed the Mengyou City wall. Tai had climbed it alone then dropped the boots and gloves down. They were going to race and they need a referee. They were only halfway there and already Tai noticed Mei beginning to falter. Shang though didn't keep far ahead of her – Just enough to be sure he won, but close enough to be able to catch her. Tai waited for awhile. He had just sat down when Shang appeared followed by Mei. The two lay there panting for air.

"That was incredible," said Mei. "Some of the most fun I've had in a while, and I've climbed a lot of stuff."

"I'm glad you two liked it," said Tai.

"I didn't!" said Shang. "The second time was just a bit scarier."

"How so?"

Shang didn't get to answer. A goose messenger came and told Tai that he, Shang, and Mei were summoned to Kun's study.

The three young adults knocked on the study door.

"Come in," said Kun.

The tiger, Golden cat, and clouded leopard walked in.

"How did the meeting go, father?" asked Tai.

"The Council needs to burn in hell for a while. They need to get a better perspective of this. I got only thirty three percent of the Council on my side. The rest are either daft or have been blinded by peace. Or they despise me and are on Ru's side."

"Who's Ru again," asked Sun.

"The rhino clan leader," said Fei.

"Ah, thank you."

"Still, they have not been able to see the evidence. Master Fei, I know your family is a traveling family, but if you could do me the honor of staying for a month or two, just in case they do show up. With you here, you would know the most and would be the most helpful. The Shandian Clan will do what is necessary to provide you with the comforts that you need."

Fei and Mi motioned for their daughter to come to them. The spoke for the briefest moment before they came up with an answer,

"Yes, it would be an honor to stay and help someone like yourself and your family."

Kun and Sun relaxed visibly. Shang did a slight fist pump. Tai just blinked and hoped Shang's newfound love would not stop their friendship.

"A month left to travel and a day of battle and Mengyou City will be ours, my liege," said Siwang. "I have received good news from the robins. The pass is cleared; no body guards the Three Bridges."

"Was the robin sure that Mengyou City was not aware of our plans?" asked Xisong.

"The robins reported that a group of clouded leopards saw and has told of your army to the Lord of the City, but our spies in the Council turned down Kun's request to raise the army. Fate is smiling upon us."

"That is good," said Canku, biting on a piece of chicken. The vulture looked at the meat then back at his two masters. "We will surprise them and they will be able to do little to stop our attack. Friend will turn on friend, brother on brother, sister on sister, wife to husband, husband to wife. It will be a glorious day for us."

"As it should, Warlord Canku," said Siwang, bowing low. "What shall we do with Kun Zhu and Sun Nushi? Do we kill them?"

"No!" shouted Xisong and Canku at the same time.

"To kill the leaders would benefit us, yes, but not as much as keeping them would. Once we have the most revered leaders of China and they are seeing bowing to us, they're pride and courage will falter and be crushed. Physiological warfare is just as powerful as physical hurt," said Xisong harshly. "It dashes their hope. They are left broken and follow their leader's ways and bow before us!"

"Your words and confidence boost my spirit," said Siwang.

"You did not believe that we could do this?" asked Canku dangerously.

"No, I do, but I believe some of your men still doubt you, my liege," the vulture lied.

Canku licked his chops,

"Well then, I guess we will have to show them who they are following. What do you think Xisong?"

"Just remember, the more we hurt and torture, the less we are leading on trust, loyalty, and the sense of revenge than of fear. We need the perfect balance, with fear leading by just the smallest amount. But if they do doubt our leadership, we should show them what we are truly capable of."

The two wolves walked out followed by Siwang. Head's turned to look at the lead wolves. These two never came out to see the bulk of the army unless in a time of battle. When they did, nothing good rarely happened. The two wolves walked amongst the army, each soldiers bowing in respect to them. Their gazes remained fixed forward, their pale eyes not moving from their target. They reached the gallows and by then, all of the army was looking at them and the vulture that followed behind them. The two looked out and Canku stepped forward.

"I have heard that some doubt our leadership, yet I never thought that anyone in this army would be so _unfaithful_." Canku hissed out the last word. "Our friend here, the vulture officer – I'm sure most of you know him – has said that some doubt us."

Xisong then turned to Siwang.

"Since you have told us of these treasonous scum, then you should pick them out."

Siwang grinned and his mind began to turn. He had to power to pick those who stood in his way and had hurt him. He turned to the army and began picking out the hapless animals: a boar and a snow leopard. Each one had in somehow been a nuisance to Siwang and he wanted them dead. The boar had disobeyed Siwang in battle, yet he had no way to prove it. The snow leopard was rivaling Siwang for his position. The snow leopard was calm as he walked to the stadium, he was not one to worry.

The boar got to the gallows first. He groveled at the feet of the wolves.

"I did no wrong! Nothing! I don't know what Officer Siwang has found in me, but I promise I have done nothing to doubt your rule!"

"But you doubted mine," said the vulture.

The boar's eyes widened.

"You disobeyed an Officer's orders. Now, will you disobey mine?"

The boar shook his head vigorously to Canku.

"I swear I will do what my Masters finds pleases them!"

"Good! Then tie your own noose!"

All the color left the boar and he got up and accepted the rope from Siwang.

"That's it! Around the neck, there you go! You have show great skill in tying! Let's hope it keeps you from a slow death."

The boar was then pushed toward the trapdoor and the rope was tied to the beams above him. The executor pulled the lever and the trapdoor opened. The boar screamed as he dropped, yet was cut short as he was caught by his rope. The boar's neck didn't snap. The boar was denied the quick death and was left there writhing, slowly being suffocated.

The snow leopard got to the stadium last and bowed low to Xisong and Canku.

"Whatever my punishment is, I will take it for what I have been accused of," said the snow leopard in a quiet voice, still bowing to the wolves. Canku looked at Xisong. Xisong nodded,

"Stand over to my left."

The snow leopard did so with no questions, though he was slightly confused.

The wolves turned to Siwang.

"What is the crimes that this leopard was supposed to have committed? Treachery you say? At the battle of Shi-Lan not four months ago?"

Siwang nodded slowly. He was starting to head into dangerous waters.

"What happened that was so treacherous?"

Siwang thought about the one mistake he had made during the battle – leading four hundred troops to their death. Nobody really knew about it. The few who had were now rotting at the bottom of a lake.

"He purposely led four hundred troops to their death at Shi-Lan, my Lord and my Lady."

Canku's eyes blazed. Xisong grinned evilly.

"You have lied to us about this snow leopard, vulture. I know this snow leopard as a true leader. He was the one who began the attack on Shi-Lan; he was by my side almost throughout that entire battle. You lie," said Canku harshly.

Xisong turned to the snow leopard.

"What would you have us do to this _bird_?"

The snow leopard stared at Siwang coldly.

"He shall have what his name means. Death!"

Xisong nodded. Siwang's squawked, a very un-vulture like thing to do, and leapt in the air. He turned and tried to fly away. The snow leopard slowly pulled out this bow and fitted an arrow. He fired and the arrow went straight through the vulture.

Canku looked at the snow leopard.

"What is your name?"

"I am called Kar where I came from."

"Good. Then Officer Kar, take your position. Tell the hawk Quan to take Siwang's place. We still need an aviator to lead the birds for the messages and aerial attacks."

The snow leopard bowed low.

"Many thanks. I will not disappoint you."

"You are dismissed," said Canku and Xisong.

The leopard bowed again and left, getting lost in the crowd of onlookers.

Xisong turned back to the army, now two short.

"When you show your loyalty and you show that you are worthy, we will reward you. When you do the exact opposite of our expectations, you will not live to make another mistake. Those who still believe that we can lead this, give us a battle-cry!"

The army immediately got on their hooves, foot paws, and claws to give a full-throated cry. Many took out their weapons and either pumped them in the air or banged them on the ground to create a dull thud.

Canku stepped forward and raised a paw. The army fell silence instantly.

"Mengyou City is just a month away. Keep up our pace and we will have bloodshed once again to quench your thirst for blood. Gold and glory will be ours. Now, LET'S GET A MOVE ON!" Canku finished the sentence with a loud yell.

The army immediately got into their formations, despite the early hour. The drill sergeants screamed out the orders and the vast army marched forward. The newly promoted hawk leading the army in the direction they need.

Canku and Xisong with their newly promoted right-handed Officer, Kar, beside them watched the procession of their forces from an elevated position.

"Let us go to victory," said the snow leopard quietly.

"Aye, to victory and glory," agreed Canku.

"Nothing shall stand in our way," said Xisong looking at the army with ever moving eyes.

They put their hooded cloaks on and hid their faces. The snow leopard wrapped a black scarf around his mouth and nose. He pulled a black hood, letting his icy blue eyes only show. Each one wore pure black and they disappeared in the snow storm. At the back, the guards were shocked to see wolves and the snow leopard directly behind them moments later.


	6. Almost Spotted

Shang was nervous. He looked up and down the hallways. No one was there. Hesitantly he knocked on a door. The door opened to reveal Mei. Shang immediately looked down at his foot paws. He shuffled just a bit.

"What is it Shang?" asked Mei, not unkindly.

"It is dinnertime, right?" Shang said. He immediately felt stupid. Of course it was dinnertime. The tips of his ears felt hot.

"Yes, it is. Did you just need the time?"

"No! Ummm…..do you have plans for dinner?"

"Yes," said Mei. "I was going to go downstairs and eat."

Shang felt stupid again.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me?"

"I do that everyday! Why would you ask me this time….."

"I mean just us, alone, together. Tai was able to get me a rather nice seat in a really good restaurant. It over looks the river and everything…" Shang got quiet at the end of his sentence. "I'm terrible at this."

Mei smiled and then hugged Shang. Shang purred. He stopped. Had he even _purred_ before? Mei saw the look in Shang's face.

"I will go with you to dinner. Let me get ready. Also, was this the first time you've done that?"

"Yeah," said Shang. "Not much happiness in my life. That and I found purring girly."

Mei laughed.

"Well, there is always a first for everything."

Mei walked into her bedroom and shut the door. Shang smiled and leaned back on the wall, breathing hard. He had done it!

Mei jumped for joy. She had hoped that Shang would get the courage to ask her. Now she just needed to find that dress. She rummaged through her stuff.

"Are you looking for this?" asked Mi, smiling.

Mei rushed forward and grabbed the dress.

"Thank you!"

"Your welcome, now go have fun!"

* * *

><p>The door opened and Shang saw Mei in a snow white dress. It was simple, yet all the more attractive. A single piece garment, it fitted snug at the top yet opened up a bit at the bottom for easy movement. Her tail was hidden beneath the fabric, giving her a more streamlined form, if that was possible in Shang's opinion. Shang's mouth dropped open but he quickly shut it. Mei looked at Shang. Clearly Shang borrowed some clothes from Kun. They were a bit too big. A black silk tunic and pants were what he wore. Shang's golden tail moved slightly at the bottom, back and forth in quick, jittery movements. This was the first time he ever felt this.<p>

"You look regal almost," said Mei.

"Regal? Maybe, but nothing compared to the jewel in front of me," said Shang without hesitation.

_Where did I get that?_ Shang thought. _It must be those stupid poems that Tai made me read before_.  
>They walked to the He-Kan restaurant. It was situated near the Palace. Its entrance was small and inconspicuous. Tai greeted them at the door.<p>

"Sorry, Shang, but I'm going to have to go in there with you two. Don't worry, I have a different seat. I've invited Jingli to come and play chess with me over dinner."

Tai felt a bit funny. He had never been good with girls. Shang was better than him with that stuff. Seeing Shang in the silk pants and tunic were enough to throw him off. Not only that but seeing Mei that close to Shang was a tad bit odd. Yet if his two friends were happy, he was fine with whatever they did.

"The outside isn't what I'd expect," said Shang. He worried that he was making a bad impression.

"Exactly what they want you to think – you just have to see the inside." The goose waiter opened the door and they walked inside. The whole restaurant was two stories high. The back was made of glass so they could see the river below them. The whole place was brightly lit. Shang and Mei weren't able to see the entire thing as they were led up a stair case to the upper floor. They entered a private room with a balcony that hung directly above the river.

"It's beautiful," breathed Mei. "In all my families' wanderings, I have never been in room so wonderful."

Jingli got up from the seat he had been waiting on.

"Glad you like it," replied the crane to the couple. Jingli turned to Tai. "I have set up the chess board. Are you ready for another defeat?"

"Yes, but I am prepared this time."

The tiger and crane left the room and sat down at the table and started the match off. Jingli moved first, then Tai. On the tenth move, Tai was already feeling taxed. Jingli certainly wasn't lying. Tai gritted his teeth and moved again.

The match lasted for three hours. It ended finally in Tai loosing.

"How do you do it?" gasped Tai. This was the second time Jingli beat him.

"You've already asked me that, I told you I would tell you later. I'll clean up the board. You can go get the two."

Tai left the room and walked down the hallway. He wondered how Shang and Mei's first outing went. He turned at the door that had roses outlining it. He slowly opened the door and walked in, his footpads not making any noise on the short carpet. He looked at the dining table. The dishes had been cleared and the candle in the middle still burned. He looked around. They were not there. He walked further into the room. Tai looked at the balcony. There was Shang and Mei watching the sun set down behind the mountains. Shang had Mei in front of him with his arms wrapped lightly around Mei's waist. She had her paws resting on Shang's arms. Both their tails moved slowly back and forth. Shang's fur was standing on end and a peaceful expression was on his face. Mei fur was no different but he saw her shiver once or twice. He heard a low drone. Someone was purring. Tai's ears burned and he backpedaled slowly out of the room, leaving them in peace.

* * *

><p>"So, how was your outing with Mei last night?" asked Tai as he pulled back on his longbow.<p>

"It was wonderful," said Shang quietly from beside him, also with longbow in hand.

"That's good. What did you guys talk about?"

Shang looked at Tai.

"Everything from archery to adventure to ourselves! I felt so different. I finally found someone!"

Tai looked forward then he laughed quietly to himself.

"Was it you or Mei that was purring?"

Shang looked forward.

"That was Mei. I don't really purr."

"Really? Because in that case, Mei has a very deep purr."

"I promise you it was Mei. Purring is more of a girl thing." said Shang quickly.

"If you say so," said Tai, giving in. "Though, I think I'll ask Mei."

"Ok, you go do that," said Shang, not betraying anything. He fired his arrow.

"For the record, it was Shang that was purring," said Mei, coming up from behind a tree.

Tai looked at Shang smugly.

"So, still a girly thing?"

"Yes, except when I do it."

"No matter what you do, it still sounds like a furnace running on love when you purr," said Mei, laughing.

Shang fired another arrow. Then dropped his bow. Shang growled just bit and then broke out in a run, chased after Mei. Mei laughed and climbed a tree with a speed that left Tai dizzy.

"C'mon! You will have to catch me if you want me to take that back!" said Mei, taunting Shang playfully.

Tai raised an eyebrow. He still didn't get what love did to you that someone like Shang would _chase_ a girl around like that. He watched as they soared from tree branch to tree branch. Such a childish game, yet it seemed fun for them.

_Love is a drug_, concluded Tai.

Mei let Shang catch her. They just sat up there on a high branch and let their tails twist together.

"Look's like I'm going to beat you at this contest then," said Tai. His crooked tail gave a few spasms, throwing off his aim as he looked down the bow at the center of the target.

"A contest?" Mei inquired.

Tai stopped and let the string go limp.

"Yeah, Shang is winning so far."

"Let's restart. I'll be able to beat you both!"

Shang grinned at the Mei's wide, sparkling eyes, looking sorrowfully at Shang.

"You wish. I'm not going easy on you. And don't you pull those eyes on me."

Tai picked up his bow and let the arrow fly.

"First one to score. You losers are going to have to be quick to catch up," yelled Tai up at the tree. Tai narrowed his eyes and kept firing at the center. He barely noticed as Mei and Shang began firing at the targets. Their quivers soon ran out and they counted up their points. Shang won with forty points with Tai following behind him with thirty-four. Mei had stopped near the beginning of the competition, wanting Shang to spend some time with his friend instead of her. She just watched as the two friends shot arrows and took a nap.

Tai lay in bed, looking up at the roof. His mother came in.

"How are you doing, Mishi?" asked Sun using Tai's nickname.

"I am doing fine, thank you for asking, mother," Tai replied, not looking at Sun.

"That is good. You seemed just a bit quieter today. Less that you normal are when you're not around Shang and Mei."

Sun sat at the edge of her son's bed, looking out his window to the night sky.

"May I ask how Shang and Mei are doing?"

"You don't have to ask permission about that. They are doing great. Shang is really happy. I'm not sure about Mei, but Mei is enjoying Shang's company _a lot_."

"Good. I am happy for them. Fei and Mi actually seem to be enjoying it in Mengyou City. With Mei and Shang together, they might just stay. Ah, I enjoy Mi's company. She is a fresh mind to us all. Your father is getting along with Fei as well. The Liulan's are certainly a family to get used to though. Enough of me, I really came into talk about you."

"What about me?" asked Tai, sitting up.

"I've seen that face before. You are hurting, though, I'm not sure what it is. Are you comfortable about telling me?"

Tai took a deep breath.

"Not really."

"That makes it all the worse. You really shouldn't answer to your mother like that."

Sun shoved Tai playfully. Tai smiled weakly. His mother certainly was good at reading him.

"I guess I'm just worried I'll loose Shang as a friend. He and Mei are getting really close."

"As they should be – if they truly love each other. But don't worry. Accept what Shang has done and encourage him, give him help when he needs it. Also, I found that silver knife. Is that for Mei?"

Tai looked up at.

"Yes, but it is for Mei from Shang. I got it for him to give to her."

"Then why haven't you given it to him to give to her. I'm sure he would appreciate the gift," said Sun softly.

"Yeah. Next time I see him, I'll give it to him."

"Good. You still seem distraught. Any thing else on your mind?"

"Childish thoughts are all that's there." Tai pointed to his head. "I am almost twenty-one and yet I am just so childish!"

"No your not! You are just different from the rest, Mishi! You are who you are and there is nothing that can change that, nor would I want to see it change," chided Tai's mother. "And there are no such things as childish thoughts, just childish dreams. But those can be the most magical and moving."

Tai looked away.

"Do you think I will every find someone for me? I never thought about that until I saw how Shang reacts when he is around Mei. It fascinates me that the opposite sex can do so much to a being. Yet, now, I find my heart aching when I see then laughing together."

Tai sighed and looked back at his mother. She just sat there looking at Tai.

"That is normal. Just relax and know that there is _someone_ there for you. Don't drive yourself crazy."

Tai said nothing. There was silence in the room except the sound of the two tigers breathing.

"How do you do it?"

"I am your mother, that is my job, no matter how old you are or young you seem," Sun said. She got up, smiling, and walked out of the room leaving Tai to go to bed.

Tai pulled back the bow and looked down to the center of the target. He breathed in and out, readying himself for the shot. He stopped suddenly and held his breath. He fired. The arrow flew straight and true. It hit the center of the target. Tai smiled at the arrow. It was the fiftieth time today he had hit the center. He walked over and grabbed the arrow from the target, clearing the center for his next shot. He readied the arrow and aimed for the target for the fifty-first time. He let go. It again hit the center. Tai smiled. He was getting much better. An arrow suddenly flew through the air and split Tai's arrow. His ears immediately shot up and he listened for the sound of footsteps or the string being pulled back again. He heard the crackle of leaves and turned in that direction. There was Shang, bow at his side.

"You scared me…..but not much," said Tai, sighing in relief. It hadn't been Curo, thank his ancestors.

"Good, I had little bit of intention to do that," Shang said. He looked down at his feet. "I'm not good with words."

"No, you're much better at scaring the life out of people and then talking civilized like," snorted Tai, then added thoughtfully, "though that does catch your attention and make you listen."

Shang shook his head.

"Listen, I haven't been fair to you. Last night, Mei and I were talking and she brought you up. You know, about how you were doing and the normal pleasantries. I just sat there, not knowing what to say: I didn't know how you were doing."

Tai looked at Shang. His mother was right! Shang was truly a good friend! He had humbled himself enough to apologize to Tai. He let him continue without interruptions.

"Mei turned to me she asked me again how you were doing. I then realized that I had kinda forgot you. I feel really bad. How do I put this…I'm sorry? Will that do?"

Tai laughed loudly. Shang looked hurt. Tai just kept laughing, but told Shang not to look so hurt.

"I'm laughing because of the way you said that. Don't worry. I am doing fine; you can tell Mei that next time you see her. I'm just happy to hear that you haven't forgotten me."

Shang smiled.

"Now, how about we shoot some arrows? I'll do what you want."

Tai grinned mischievously,

"In that case, I'll race you up _and_ down the walls of Mengyou City."

Shang's mouth dropped open.

"Oh ancestors help me," he muttered.

Tai went and got the special climbing gloves they had put in their small wall of equipment. He tossed them to Shang and put his own on.

The next moment they were both huffing and puffing up the walls of the city. The guards positioned there had seen them doing this before, so they put bets on who would reach the top first. Shang got there first, but Tai beat him down.

* * *

><p>Canku and Xisong sat next to the Yi River. In the distance, the lights of Mengyou City were visible. The pass they were in hid the army perfectly. The leader of Mengyou City had no idea of what destruction they were about to experience. The two wolves pale eyes burned with vengeance and excitement. Tomorrow night would be the first true step in the path that would lead them to victory. They looked at the map of the City that the spies had put together. The map was rough, but still more accurate than anything they could have normally put together from just outside observation. They drew on the map with charcoal sticks, making plans for when the traitors would open the doors to the City letting the rest of the army make there way into Mengyou.<p>

"Don't you find it ironic that Mengyou City means the City of Allies yet buried within those walls are numbers of traitors just waiting to attack and quench their thirst for blood," said Xisong. "The peace has blinded them to attack and that mistake will lead to their downfall."

"That and the corrupt Council they have," said Canku. "They are fools."

"Still be wary of Kun Zhu," warned Xisong. "He has direct authority over their armed forces in times of battle and war. The Council has no control. During the attack, the spies must act fast."

"And they will….if they don't, they will pay with their lives. Not by our hand though, by Kun's."

"Sir," said a bear guard from behind them.

"What is it?" asked Canku, slightly annoyed.

"We have spotted two citizen's approaching the army."

"What?"

Canku grabbed his telescope and looked down it.

"Where are they?"

"Down by the little estuary from the Yi."

"Right there," said Xisong, moving the telescope to the correct position. "I see them, what are they?"

"A clouded leopard and a Golden cat," said Canku calmly.

"So, what is there to worry about, they are most likely on a date or something like that, they seem young enough. Look, they are even hugging and kissing. Not something a scout or patrol would do," said Xisong turning back to the map.

"Yes, but what if the Golden cat was a Guard and he caught sight of us? What then?"

"A Guard?"

Xisong immediately turned back.

"Yes, he if saw us, he would forget his date and turn back to his duties as a Guard, regardless of the situation."

"Then what do we do, Lord Canku?" asked the bear.

* * *

><p>Shang and Mei ran playfully next to the river. This time Mei trying to catch up with Shang who had caught Mei off-guard and had given her a kiss. Mei almost caught up to Shang, yet he swerved into the river. Mei halted and backed away from the water.<p>

"What's the matter? Don't like the water?" taunted Shang and splashed Mei.

"Yeah, never really liked water. How do you like water anyways?"

Shang turned on his back and swam against the current to stay in one place.

"Long story short, I hated water and then I was forced to learn to like it."

"C'mon, tell me the story. We've got all the time in the world."

Shang got out of the water and sat next to Mei, still dripping.

"When I first joined the Guard, we had to do a lot of training. Well, we were about a month into the training and my squad were led to the river. One by one, we were told to get in the water and fight the drill sergeant in the water. I went to the very back of the line. The crocodiles were the best and we had a few in the group. Finally, it was my turn. I refused to get in the water. The sergeant turned red at my refusal and got out of the water. He turned to me and said right in my face,

'Do we have a scaredy cat right here? What? Are you used to lickin' yourself for a bath and then drinking milk out of a damn silver saucer! Why don't you grow some balls and get in the water and face your damn fears!'

"I still refused and he promptly picked me up and dragged me to the river. I fought the entire way, yet the sergeant was very strong. He got to the water's edge and threw me in. I howled and tried to get back to shore, yet he pushed me back in whenever I got too close. I finally gave up and fought him like he wanted. That sergeant went as hard as he could go, banging and bashing at me with whatever he could. I guess you shouldn't piss him off, 'cause I got lots of water down my throat and too many bruises to count. I left that day feeling miserable. A croc sergeant seemed to have the smallest bit of pity in him because every day, he threw me back in the water and helped me. It wasn't the best help, but I am not scared of water anymore."

Shang finished with his tale and saw Mei looking at Shang.

"It's good to know I have a man who faces his fears."

Mei lay down on the grass and looked up at the stars. Shang followed suit but on his way down caught a glimpse of _something_ between the Yi River Pass. He sat straight back up and stared long and hard…

* * *

><p>"He's looking, the Guard is looking!" said the bear loudly, looking down the telescope.<p>

"Tell the army to extinguish their fires and remain as silent as death or they will be dead!" hissed Canku.

Throughout the camp, fires went out and the normal talk of the army went away instantly. Everything was silent.

"What now? What is the Guard doing?" whispered Xisong.

Canku grabbed the telescope again and looked down it at the Golden cat.

"He is still looking, he's turned back."

Canku grinned but it instantly faded as a soldier near the front of the army started having a coughing fit. The Guard's ears went up and he turned back to face the hidden army.

"Kill whoever is making that noise!" Xisong said quietly but harshly.

Kar, the snow leopard, immediately pulled back on his bow and killed the unfortunate soldier with a swift arrow to the heart. The night was again silent. The Guard looked suspiciously at the Pass yet turned back and joined the clouded leopard once again. The couple left with the Guard still looking back.

"That, was too close," said Canku. "If he would have gotten any closer, we would've had to kill him. Either way, it would have been a loose-loose situation."

"How so, boss?" asked the bear.

"If he got to close, we would have got to kill him and the girl. When they didn't come back, people would get suspicious. Citizens would come out and start searching. As soon as they spotted the bodies or anything suspicious, Kun would be notified and he would lead the Cities forces to our spot, giving us off. If he had noticed us and we didn't kill him the same would happen only faster."

The bear nodded, though still didn't seem to get what the wolf was implying.

"Just go! Leave us alone!"

The bear did an awkward bow and left the two wolves and the snow leopard alone.

"Has the robin told the inside of the City to get ready?" Xisong asked Kar.

"Yes, Your Ladyship. Every animal we have in the City is ready," replied Kar, his blue eyes glowing. "No one has suspected our attack. Though, she did give me a message that I should tell you. The Lord and Lady of Mengyou have had a son. She sees him, the Guard, and the clouded leopard in one of the groves over there. I do not know the correct position, though. The tiger prince, she reports, is good at archery but is soft. He doesn't kill and is unskilled at war. The prince does not know how to defend himself. She said he will be easy to spot as he has a crooked tail due to injury from a fight with a rhino. He will be easy to kill or get rid of. The Guard and clouded leopard are more prone to defend themselves."

"How is this prince going to be easy to get rid of? You just said right now that he got into a fight with a rhino. One doesn't usually get into fight with a rhino with absolutely no training of kung fu or defense."

"He did not go into it willingly. It was sport for the rhino," said Kar. "The tiger prince is a weakling."

Xisong smiled.

"He will be a useful tool for getting the royal couple to bow before us, have him captured too. His friends can be killed."

"Of course. I will give the responsibility to the boar captain for the capture of the prince and the elimination of his friends."

"We will tell him of his squad's task tomorrow. He must not fail. It is crucial now. If any escape, our plans will be void and we will have no choice but to wait, for surprise will be no longer our ally," finished Xisong. "You are dismissed Kar."

"Your Lordships," said Kar, bowing to the two wolves. Turning smartly, he left without another word.

"I find him much better than Siwang," said Canku to Xisong as soon as Kar was out of earshot.

"Yes. I am happy we spared him. Siwang, in retrospect, was an _annoyance_," said Xisong, slowly shaking her head in agreement.

Canku got up and offered his paw to Xisong. Xisong eyed it. "Why the sudden courtesy?" Xisong's eyes gleamed.

The male wolf gave a toothy grin.

"There is no reason other than to show my devotion to you."

"I doubt that, but I'll accept your offer."

Xisong took Canku's paw and he pulled her close to his body and kissed her passionately. She returned the kiss but broke away soon.

"I knew there was more to that gesture."

"There is more to me than meets the eye," said Canku smoothly.

"Clearly," Xisong said as she walked slowly away.

* * *

><p>"Is everything okay?" asked Mei, coming up behind Shang. She rested a paw on the Golden cat's shoulder. "What are you looking at?"<p>

"I thought I saw something up there, near the Pass. It looked like campfires, more than one of them too," said Shang tersely. He continued to stare at the Pass, straining his eyes to pick out something in the darkness. He thought he heard a faint noise, but it ended almost as soon as it began. Mei joined him looked at the Pass, though she didn't know what he was looking for.

"I don't see anything," said Mei, confused.

"Neither do I….now." Shang didn't look at Mei, but continued to stare forward. "I could have sworn I saw something."

"Relax, it is probably your imagination or a star low on the horizon. Speaking of stars, have you ever seen the red and blue stars of the Jade Mountains? They are the most unusual stars you will ever see. Don't you notice how the stars here are yellow?"

Shang looked at Mei, forgetting the Pass and what he thought he saw in the clouded leopard's gaze. His recently hard, military face turned back to the soft, peaceful expression. Mei then lay back down on the grass. Shang followed again, wanted her touch and warmth. She sidled next to Shang and began to tell him of one of her journeys through the Jade Mountains and how she and her father stared up at the night sky and saw the blue and red stars.

"Why do you think they are that color, instead of yellow?" asked Shang. "I'll bet Tai would know. Oh, Tai told me to tell you that he is doing fine."

Mei cocked her head to the side.

"Why would he tell me that?"

"Remember that other night when you asked me how Tai was doing and I said I didn't know?"

Mei laughed.

"I remember. That's good. I'm happy that you apologized to your friend for leaving him behind. I like that in a guy."

Mei winked at Shang. Shang beamed.

"Looks like I'm your guy."

"That you are. Let's go though, ask Tai."

Tai was looking through his scrolls as Shang and Mei burst into his room. Tai turned.

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you were on a date?"

"We are, but this is the end," said Mei. "We need your thoughts on a question."

Tai's mind ran through all the possible questions that Mei and Shang could have thought up. Marriage? Unlikely. Then what?

"Why are some stars red and blue, while most are yellow?"

Tai laughed.

"There are lots of theories. Some have to do with battles of the heavens and others to do with the gods of the heavens. Most are absolute trash, but are widely accepted."

"So, what's your thought process on it?"

"I was reading some scrolls a while back and I can across a theory that states that the stars are different colors because of temperature difference. A scholar thought of it by noticing how flames were difference colors. He noticed how a blue flame and a red flame seemed to melt different materials at different rates. Most disregard this theory as not true. But, I find that with this simple experiment and through other evidence, this is the truth. Though, I do believe that they could be put there by our ancestors or dragons. Call me crazy, but I think those two might just exist in a parallel with us, only not seen."

Shang and Mei just looked at Tai with dumb expressions. Shang turned to Mei.

"There you have it, my cloud, the stars are different colors because of temperature differences and the ancestors and dragons put them there."

Mei smiled.

"Tai, you just made this the best night ever."

"How so? And why did you ask me that?"

"No reason. And no reason. Well, I have to go, I'll see you guys later," said Mei. She kissed Shang goodnight and gave Tai a quick hug as she left.

"You are lucky, Shang, I must say that."

"Thanks. I have another question for you before I go," Shang said.

"I'm all ears," Tai replied, turning back to his scrolls. "Did you want to know how the friction of the air reduces the speed of an arrow?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Just wondering. Here's my real question. Do you remember that ceremonial knife you got from that shop?"

"Yeah, you want it?"

"Yes, but not now. Mei and I were talking on the way down and she thought that it would be nice to have you come along tomorrow. We're going to a tree that towers over the rest to just hang out. The three of us. If you could bring the knife then, that would be great."

Tai shook his head,

"I don't want to intrude on your time with her. I'll give you the knife now."

"Listen, Tai, you wouldn't be intruding. It's not a date. Also, I feel just a bit uncomfortable presenting something to her. You would think that after spending a month with her, I would be fine about doing that. Well, I'm not."

Tai nodded.

"I'll be there, for your own emotional support. Just don't break down in tears or run away, okay? Mei wouldn't like that."

Shang just left at that with Tai laughing loudly behind him.


	7. Defeat

A/N: This was a fun part to write. I hope you like it.

* * *

><p>The night air was cool as Tai ran across the grass. He spotted the tree and headed toward it. He looked to see if he had the knife. He did. On his back was his longbow and arrow also. The tiger had grown used to the weight and felt a little weird without it. The tree loomed ahead of him. A minute later he was at the base looking up at the ninety-one foot tree. The closest branch was at least ten feet above him. He jumped and locked his claws into the tough bark of the tree. He pulled himself up. Paw over paw. He reached the branch. Recalling how Shang told him to leap from branch to branch with ease, he bounded upwards using his tail, albeit its angle, his foot paws, and his paws. He got fifteen feet before the fancy tricks wore him out. He went back to normal climbing.<p>

An out of breath Tai got to a branch and just sat there. Something soft tickled his head. He looked up to see two tails intertwined together above him. He followed the tails to see Mei and Shang sitting there, close together, arms around each other. They didn't seem to notice him. Tai reached up and tapped Shang. The Golden cat turned around and saw Tai holding up the knife and scabbard. Shang reached down but looked up as a howl split the night silence. He saw torches lit and the screams started reaching each of the feline's ears.

* * *

><p>The army clothed in black crept silently across the grass to their designated positions, each one's heart thudding in their chest. Aviators filled the air above them, waiting to dive bomb the unsuspecting citizen's below. The hordes of villains got to their allocated positions and they waited. Their breath was visible in the cool of the night as vapor. They tightened their grip on their weapons. Swords, battle-axes, bows and arrows, halberds, spears, and other weapons were among the armory of the Army in Black.<p>

Canku, Xisong, and Kar stood at the back of the army, standing at the bottom of the pass.

"Would you like to do the honors?" asked Canku to his mate.

Xisong looked at Canku,

"With pleasure."

She lifted her head to the sky and howled three times - two short bursts and one last, drawn out howl. The cry rang out crisp and clear. A second passed then screams began to rise from Mengyou City. The foot soldiers at the bottom tensed and waited for the doors to open. They remained as passive as ever, not moving. A crack of light appeared as the main doors were slowly, ever so painfully slowly, opened. They burst open to reveal chaos on the streets of Mengyou City. Bloodied animals, the traitors, ran throughout the streets, killing mercilessly, sparing no one. The army in black charged, still silent. It wasn't until they fully were in the City that they unleashed their voices in a battle-cry and attacked. Innocent citizens were slaughtered with savage delight. A rabbit ran across the street. An arrow suddenly sprouted from its stomach. The creature gasped, eyes wide, then dropped. The more agile animals climbed to the tops of the buildings and killed the inhabitants inside that dared oppose them.

Canku and Xisong finally got to the heart of the battle. A group of Guards at the Palace's entrance were proving very skilled as they held back the advances of the army that had suddenly come upon them. Screams still came from inside the Palace, but they were few and far between. Canku and Xisong's muzzles and fur were blood-stained from the countless innocents that they had murdered. They didn't stop running as they neared the squad of Guards. The single archer in the group fired an arrow at Canku. He batted it aside with ease. The archer's eyes went wide in astonishment. How could anyone avoid her arrows? Xisong reached the archer and, faster than the eye could follow, had pulled out the archer's own knife and killed her with it. The female wolf ripped the knife back out and threw it at the closest animal. The tiger toppled, clutching his neck. Canku was even more of a terror than his mate. He leapt on the closest animal he could find and tore out his throat. Taking the remains of the esophagus in his now red paws, he shoved them down the neighboring leopard's throat, blocking off the airway with the throat of his own comrade. The leopard fell, already half dead. A Guard stabbed at Canku's back. Kar appeared from above and felled the Guard with a stab at the armpit and finished the Guard off with a blow to the neck. A gorilla from the wolves' army barged into the fight, ripping of limbs of the animals. Shrieks and screams were the only thing that could be heard, besides the crackle of a few fires that had been started. Canku and Xisong finally opened the doors to the Palace courtyards. They marched with purpose until they reached the actual entrance to the Palace. The doors were flung open and they were met with a shocking sight.

The Lord of the City, Kun Zhu was dressed in his pure white battle armor. The light, flexible, yet strong material let Kun Zhu work terrors on the battle. His bracers held knives in it and he also had two thin swords, strong though, that he used in full combat. But, when Kun had normally worn this outfit for military ceremonies in peace, he now wore this for combat.

Kun's face was contorted in grief and anger, but he had an aura around him that spoke of wild, raw power. His fur stood up on the ends and his body quivered with energy. It was the eyes though that spooked many of the battle hardened soldiers out. They weren't the eyes of a civilized creature. No, these were the eyes of a primeval being – a hunter. These eyes displayed an ancient power, from the dawn of time. As if they were showing the past…..

The knives on the bracers were red with blood as he killed with the ease only a tiger could have. A knife to the throat, spin, and then stab a rival in the stomach. Flip over an opponent that dared attack and kill him with a strong kick to the neck, snapping it instantly. Three traitorous Guards attacked. Two from beside, one from the front. Kun flung his arms out as the soldiers were in range, killing both with a knife to the skull. The knives got stuck, the tiger struggled to pull the blades free. The last Guard continued to run. Kun didn't flinch as he contemplated about what he was to do next. He lashed out with his fangs and bit down on the head of the wolf, his fangs piercing the wolf's brain. He yanked back. He spit the blood out and finally let go of the knives. The tiger Lord fought with a ferocity that had never been displayed.

Canku and Xisong attacked as one, knowing that they would have a better chance together to bring down the angered Kun. Xisong lashed out with a sword but was parried by one of Kun's swords. The tiger growled at Xisong. The wolf was unmoved and merely smiled at him. Canku attacked from the left side. He attacked low while Xisong attacked the top, forcing Kun to do two things at once. Canku swiped at the tiger's feet. Kun jumped allowing for Xisong to stab at his chest. She missed.

_Where is Ru?_ Canku thought. _We can't kill this demon without it ruining our plans_.

Canku howled as his thigh was cut. He lashed back out but it was blocked with ease by Kun. Then, Canku noticed something strange about the tiger. His eyes were blood red and the pupil's nothing but black slits against a green background. The male wolf had never heard of the Lord of the City having such savage features. A snort made him look up. A clang rang in his ears. Xisong had stopped Kun's blade from going straight through his head. There on the balcony was Ru, the traitor rhino. He had been able to infiltrate Mengyou City and become one of the Council, hindering Kun as much as he could. Canku didn't really care about the rhino though, no, he cared what the Ru had in chains before him: Sun Nushi.

"Now!" he barked at Xisong. The two wolves quickly ran to the balcony and put their knives to Sun's throat. Kun looked up and roared. The enraged tiger got down and readied to pounce on the murderous trio.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," crooned Xisong, almost lovingly but her voice dripped with mockery. "Unless you want to see your _lovely_ wife die!"

Canku put a dagger to Sun's throat and smiled evilly. This was fun, torturing people. Kun seemed to fight himself and he looked at his right paw and stared intently at it. The primeval glint in Kun's eyes faded and his muscles relaxed. He stood there panting and bowed his head.

"Don't harm her, let her go. Take me," Kun said, defeat clear in his voice. A single tear rolled down the leaders face. He had failed in the Cities time of need.

Kar and another snow leopard chained Kun together. Kar kicked Kun in the side, knocking the tiger over.

"That is for my troops you killed."

Kun smiled.

"As if you didn't murder innocent people, yet you still judge me."

Kar kicked Kun once more. The two wolves and rhino manhandled Sun down the stairs and shoved her down on her knees next to her husband. She leaned up against in, burying her face in his shoulders.

"To the tower," said Xisong simply.

They reached the top of the tower and both Canku and Xisong howled triumphantly to the night sky. The City was silent for a second before cries of anguish at their leaders capture coupled with shouts of triumph for the wolves' victory. Mengyou City had fallen to the hands of the wolves and their Army in Black.

* * *

><p>Mei and Tai held a struggling Shang back. The Golden cat had noticed the figures rushing down to the gates. Then, he heard the screams of anguish.<p>

"The city is under attack! I must help!"

He had jumped down to the branch were Tai was. Tai immediately pinned Shang down. Mei went to help him.

"Let me go! You fool's! Do you want to see your City fall? What of your parents, Tai? And yours Mei? Do you want to see their mangled corpses?"

Tai growled softly and Mei was taken aback at Shang's sudden venom.

"It is you who are the fool if you go rushing in there. You will be killed and what help will that do for the City other than another body to bury? You are sworn to help the City, and then do so by protecting me!"

Tai knew it was a weak argument. He really didn't need protection up in the tree, but he needed his friend safe. Though the tiger prince didn't know that art of war, he could tell that Mengyou City would fall. Shang spat in Tai's face.

"Shang! Listen to Tai!" shouted Mei.

Shang just struggled more and shouted back at them.

"Cowards! You do not even go to fight for your own parents!"

It was like that for an hour. Shang yelling at them while Mei and Tai tried desperately hard to keep him down. A howl pierced the night. Tai looked up and, with some struggled, saw two figures in chains on the Tower.

"Mother…Father…"

He let Shang go. Shang bolted up instantly. He started moving swiftly down the tree but stopped. He climbed back up, passed Tai and Mei, and went higher. There he sat, looking at the City.

Mei looked at Tai. She said nothing for a while.

"Why did he act like that? I have never seen him with that much anger."

Tai grimaced and faced Mei.

"I know he probably hurt you, I know his words stung me, but you have to know that he has a very strong patriotism for the City. He has a fierce loyalty to it and it's people. Also Shang being a Guard makes him more attached to the City. When we held him back, he probably thought we were causing him to fail at his duty. It's best to just let him cool off."

Mei nodded and looked at the fallen City.

"I hate to see him like this. It must feel terrible," sighed Mei.

"It does. I saw my parents in chains. Chains! Two wolves were behind them and that…that…_damn_ rhino! A traitor! Curo was a traitor also, no wonder he enjoyed beating me up. It was a rebellion all along. We were so blind." Tai had never used a word like that before, but here, it felt appropriate.

Shang appeared on the branch in front of them.

"Yes, we were. But we will fight back. Tai, Mei, please listen to me now. We must do _something_. We cannot just sit here and do _nothing_!" Shang said, almost pleading.

Mei crossed her arms and looked at Shang.

"You hurt me, Shang. Your words stung us both."

Shang looked down.

"I know. I was being rash and hotheaded. I'm sorry, to both of you."

"I for one accept your apology, I think we both do. Just listen to us next time," said Tai. "You are right about one thing, we will do something. What's your plan?"

"To be honest, I hadn't thought of one," said Shang, sheepishly.

Mei groaned.

"So you were just going to rush in like a madman and fight countless enemies?"

"No."

"At least you're not that stupid, let's think of something."

Mei spoke up,

"We need information first. We need to know who these animals are and what they are going to be doing in the future."

Tai nodded.

"Once we have the information, we will be able to judge our enemy better. From there we can strike at their weak points."

"Hold on, I thought you didn't like war?" asked Shang in shock at the knowledge Tai was displaying of war.

It was Tai's turn to look sheepish. He shrugged,

"I don't, I just read up on it. It seemed interesting, reading the war strategies. I picked up a few key points."

"Well, we have that down. Now, how will we get the information without being discovered? We need to do this as soon as possible."

"And I say we need disguises and I know how to get them too."

Tai and Shang looked at Mei. The female clouded leopard had a grin on her face as she pointed down. Four boars dressed in black sat at the base of the tree. Mei motioned for them to be quiet and mimed the action of shooting an arrow. Tai took off his bow and handed it to Mei. Shang already was heading downwards silently with Mei following closely behind.

* * *

><p>The lead boar huffed and sat down at a massive tree.<p>

"We looked everywhere for that blasted tiger with the crooked tail. Tell me, mates, do you see any tiger's with crooked tails around here? No? Well then looks like the high and mighty Canku and Xisong were fooled for once. But what do we do?"

The three other boars just shrugged. They didn't want to get caught up in whatever their squad leader was talking about. They just knew that they had been picked for a mission of "importance." A boar finally spoke up,

"We can't go back, for sure boss. If we go back empty-handed, they will have our heads. What should we do?"

The lead boar huffed again. He looked around.

"Have we searched this part? I know we looked over there." He pointed a hoof to the opposite side of the River Yi. "All we saw there was the archery place and the empty nest of a robin on the ground. Any tiger, Golden cat, or leopard? No."

The three other boars looked around uncomfortably and sat down.

"We could bail out, leave the wolves," suggested one boar.

"That would be treasonous and they would track us down and kill us, no doubt!" The lead boar thought over it again. "But if we left now, they wouldn't know until morning. We would have many hours to start and we could go down one of the rivers! Boars, let's go."

A female voice rang out.

"Apparently you idiots didn't look close enough before calling it quits. Try looking up for once!"

A boar looked up and took an arrow through the head. The boars readied there shields. An arrow hit the feet of two boars. They dropped their shields and jumped up and down in pain. A fatal mistake as two other arrows killed them also. One boar was left. He decided to take a risk with the wolves and ran. Arrows sprouted from his back. As the last boar dropped Mei and Shang landed on the ground. Shang walked to the first boar and started taking the black cloth off the boar revealing the light armor beneath it. Shang took off the fabric and moved onto the next boar. He looked back to see what Mei was doing. She just sat their by the tree, shivering and hugging herself. He hated the look of pain in her face.

"You okay?" he asked walking over to her.

"I'm fine," she said quickly.

"That is not true, you don't seem well. Is it because of the boars you killed? You told me you had killed before, when you got attacked with your parents that one time on one of your trips."

"I have, but I hate it. It just takes me a while to get over it."

Shang took her hand and helped her up. He held her close. She buried her face in his chest and hugged him back. Much to Shang's annoyance, he purred. Mei laughed, knowing how much Shang hated that.

"I'm fine now, thank you," said Mei. She turned and walked to the other boars and started taking the black cloth as Shang had done. Shang walked over to the others and took anything else they might need. With everything they needed in their arms, they climbed slowly back up to where Tai sat. He took the fabric from the two and hung it over the branches. A knife and a sack were left of what they had been able to get.

"Whats with the knife?"

"It's for you. You won't look like a full archer unless you have some sort of close combat weapon," stated Shang flatly. "Just wear it. It completes the disguise."

With the clothes laid out, Mei started folding them together and tying them in certain ways to fit them, as the boars were much bigger than they were. Once they were all ready, they donned the disguises.

They didn't want to look like a member of the wolves' army, so they used bits and pieces of the dead boars' clothes.

Tai let his white pants show but wore the black long-sleeved tunic instead of his normal orange and gold tunic. He also wore a scarf that hid his mouth and nose but he left his eyes and the top of his head show. They needed to hide his tail, as it was an obvious give away so they made him wear a cape that touched the ground and told him to not move his tail.

Shang took off the badges and other symbols on his armor that showed he was a Guard. He was left with just his light armor yet it just didn't seem right. Mei then suggested he wear a cloak with a hood that hid his face in its shadow.

Mei wore a veil over her face and a black cloak without a hood to let the veil do its work. A sash of black wrapped around her and she hid a few weapons in there. She had with her the spear of one of the boars.

"How do I look?" asked Mei, turning around for them.

"Evil," said Tai.

"Stunningly evil," said Shang.

Mei looked at the other two felines.

"Good. You don't look that good yourselves." She winked at her play on words.

Shang looked back at Mengyou City.

"We best get to bed…in a tree, I know. But we have a long day ahead of us. Plus, we will get used to the disguises if we sleep in them. Alright, let's climb down to find wider branches."

Two branches were found wide enough for them to sleep on. Shang looked at Mei devilishly.

"I guess we will have to share."

Mei climbed over to the branch that Shang lay on and snuggled next to him.

"If you insist."

Tai felt his ears grow hot at the display of affection.

"You two can share, but don't be keeping me awake all night? Okay?"

Mei looked at Tai then at Shang.

"Can you believe Tai thinks we would be like that?"

"I can," Shang said.

"No surprise. Seriously though, don't keep me awake with all your purring. Got that Shang?"

Tai turned away and went to sleep.

"Touché," was all that Shang said. Mei whispered into Shang's ear and Shang smiled mischievously. Mei then got even closer to Shang and they both started purring. Tai twitched in annoyance. Finally, Tai got up and turned to face them. He looked ticked.

"Just shut up!"

Tai only heard laughing. But it wasn't as jovial as before, a twinge of sadness was mixed in with it.

* * *

><p>AN: Now the fun stuff begins.


	8. Journey Begins

Canku sat on the throne of Kun. It felt good to be on it. Nothing was more satisfying than seeing an enemy fall and then taking their spot. He sat back. This was the true life of a ruler. Not a stone fortress. No, a true ruler needed a palace with servants at his disposal. He had them now! He rang a bell. A nervous looking sheep came to his side.

"What can I get for you, Your Lordship?" asked the sheep, her voice wavering.

"Some of that wonderful peach tea that you brought me a while back," said Canku. "Better yet, bring two."

The sheep bowed and backed away.

"Oh, and sheep?"

The sheep stopped and looked at her new ruler. The wolf warlord showed his claws.

"And make it fast."

The sheep's face went as white and it scurried away. Canku laughed. This victory was as sweet as the tea he was about to get. Nothing could compare. No, there was one thing that could compare. The whole of China at his foot paws waiting on his every command. Xisong came in, a cape billowing out behind her, and sat at Sun Nushi's throne.

"Isn't this wonderful?" asked Canku. "We could stop right now and enjoy this life of luxury."

"Why stop here? When the luxuries of _China_ wait for us," Xisong shot back.

"Funny you mention that, 'cause I was just thinking that," said Canku nonchalantly.

"That is good; otherwise I would have feared you lost your mind."

"Oh, it isn't gone yet. How are our guests doing?"

"They refuse to talk to us as usual. You would think being raised properly the royal family would at least talk to their conquerors. Maybe begging us to spare their lives?" The female wolf cackled.

"Family…" mused Canku.

"Yes, family, isn't that what I just said? Do we need to get your ears checked or are you ignoring me?"

The end of the sentence came out as a growl. Canku waved a paw.

"I am not ignoring you, I am thinking. Why does that word bother me so much right now?"

"Are you saying you want a family? A pup to raise as well as conquer China?"

"A pup would be nice, a strong son to follow in my footsteps on emperor of China."

"And or a daughter," added in Xisong.

"Of course. But that isn't what I was thinking of. Why can I not remember?"

At that moment, Kar came into the throne room. He bowed at Canku and Xisong.

"What is it now? More riots from whatever is left of the Guard?"

The snow leopard snorted.

"Sir, you underestimate me if you think I would bother you with such pitiful requests. No, I am talking about the tiger prince. The squad sent to retrieve him has yet to return."

The sheep came in with the tea and placed it on the table next to Canku, not noticing the look of rage in his eyes. He picked up one of the tea cups and poured the scalding liquid into the sheep's eye. The sheep screamed in pain. Canku shattered the cup and jammed the serrated pieces of clay into the sheep's head. He finished the sheep off by snapping its neck. Kar and Xisong seemed unmoved by the act of sudden, brutal violence.

"Clean this up," said the snow leopard to a group horrified servants that had been passing by. They did so swiftly, not wanting for the Canku's anger to turn on them.

Xisong got up and put her paw on her mate's stomach.

"Control yourself!"

Canku took a deep breath in and then sat down, paw on his forehead as he thought.

"The plans are ruined!" Canku breathed.

"They are not, the prince doesn't know of our future ambitions. Remember too that the prince wasn't told what was really past his home in his valley thanks to Ru's son. He scared the prince into staying indoors. He is a weakling. Even if he did know of them, he could do nothing!"

Canku sat up.

"True. To be sure, we must move the royal couple. In the improbable event that he did come to their rescue, he would find them gone and we would have him as well."

Xisong nodded. She started to speak, but Kar spoke first.

"I will have the royal couple moved ahead of the army about a half a day's march with a battalion of soldiers. After the City is truly secure and the governor for the City is set up, you can meet us there."

"I am glad that you are willing to take them, send Ru with them. I'm sure he would relish to opportunity to rule those who ruled over him. We will be here for a bit longer. Resting, readying ourselves for the coming storm."

Xisong turned to her mate.

"We should act fast, already I find myself bored."

"I will, my dearest. As soon as it is set up, we can return to our conquest. It will be hard waiting for the Valley of Peace Betrayal, but it will be all the more worth it."

Canku grinned. It would be a glorious day defeating the legendary Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior.

The female wolf dismissed Kar. She sat down beside Canku.

"May I have the tea?"

Canku handed her the one cup.

"Get my husband a tea also," she said to the servant who had taken the place of the sheep. The rabbit hurried off. Canku stared at Xisong. What was she up to? The rabbit brought the tea to Canku. He took it roughly out of the rabbit's paws and kicked him away.

"Are you serious about that pup?" asked Xisong seriously. Canku realized he had struck something deep within Xisong. She _did_ want children.

"I wouldn't mind it," he said warmly, trying to earn him that one thing he hoped for tonight.

"You know it's not like a soldier or a servant. Not even close to a slave."

Canku looked deep into Xisong's eyes. He actually thought he saw them soften and he thought he saw a yearning for something. What was his mate up to? He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. How could he be a father?

"I know it's not the same," he said without even hearing himself speak. "But some could hurt us if we had another foothold on us. They could take the child."

Xisong's eyes went dark once more.

"They would suffer the wrath of you and I. I would tear out their hearts and make them eat it. They would bathe in a lake of their own blood."

"What has caused this sudden mood change? First, we are talking about our plans for conquering China and now you have changed it to children? Pups!"

Xisong shook her head.

_I still want children_, she thought.

Xisong had always wanted to raise pups. She didn't know why. It had always been a distracting thought, popping up whenever she didn't want it: an image of her offspring running beside her as she walked through the camp or a picture of a strong young wolf in the Officer's uniform. She cursed herself for it, knowing it to be a weakness that she wanted children.

"No reason. I am just wondering," she stammered out.

"Hell, I actually think a pup would be good idea," said Canku, hoping that maybe he would get what he wanted today or tonight. He didn't really want pups at all. One more thing to look out for and to bother him.

Xisong smiled mischievously. A plan formed in her head. She would get what she wanted.

"Have you ever seen the royal couple's bedroom?"

* * *

><p>A group of farmers waited outside Mengyou City. They had been forced to continue to sell their produce in the City. They had tried to stop coming all together, but the swords and spears of the Army in Black had said otherwise. They stood at the doors waiting. The entrance wouldn't open until the sun had fully risen from behind the mountains but they had been ordered to be there thirty minutes before. A carrot farmer looked up from his wares and saw three tall figures walking to the gates. He shouted in surprise. Each farmer looked up at the sound of the rabbit's voice. Murmurs ran through the crowd as the figures got closer. A tiger, Golden cat, and clouded leopard dressed in black and white were coming close to them. They couldn't see any of their faces fully, as they were obscured by a mask, a scarf, or a hood. The crowd parted as they got closer, letting the notorious looking trio. Tai smiled as heard many of the farmers start to whisper among themselves.<p>

"Who are they?"

"Never seen 'em in my life."

"Course you wouldn't, moron, they ain't from around here!"

"Are they crimin'ls?"

"T'ey sure do look like 'em, why else wud they dress like that?"

"I dunno, just sayin'."

It was funny to hear the same farmers that had bowed in respect to him not a day ago now called him a criminal.

_It is true that looks can be deceiving_, thought Tai.

Shang snarled at a few pig farmers and they shrank back. The murmurs stopped. Tai caught up with Shang, who had been leading the three.

"Why did you do that?" he whispered.

"To silence them. I don't want rumors going around Mengyou City."

"Ahhhhh."

Tai went back to his position behind Shang on his left. The stood at the gates for a little bit before they opened.

The massive entrance doors started to open.

"Brace yourselves," warned Mei. They didn't know what horrors would lie on the other side.

The doors opened all the way. They were met with a saddening sight. Bodies still covered the streets. A rotten smell permeated the air. Blood still drained from the corpses to form grotesque puddles. Patches of dried blood covered the once clean streets. A group of workers were going through cleaning up the mess. Though they had been cleaning for a full twenty-four hours, there was still much to finish.

Tai felt his stomach churn. He rushed for a barrel and pulled down his half-mask. He vomited. Shaking his head, he wiped his mouth and put his the half-mask back in its place so it hid his mouth and nose.

"Told you to brace yourself," said Mei as Tai rejoined the other two.

"I wasn't expecting that," replied Tai, still looking around in shock.

"It's nasty isn't it? Try narrowing your eyes. You'll look grim, like a criminal, and it will block out some of the sights," offered Mei.

Tai did so. It helped, but not that much. Shang led them to the noodle shop they had originally gone to the first time when they had met the Liulan family.

As they ate the soup, they talked about what they needed to do.

"First, we need to find how to get into the Palace, rescue your parents maybe. That's our first priority. Tai, you'll have to do that by yourself. You know the Palace better than anyone of us here, I think."

"I'm not doing it. Animals might recognize me. If they did, we would be killed or captured, ruining any chances of rescuing my parents. Not to mention saving Mei's parents also. Mei should do it."

Mei looked at Shang.

"I'll do it."

"Okay. I will see if I can find out about our enemies. Tai, what should we have you do? We have the Palace and the enemies covered. What would you like to do?"

"Something that I can do, how about we start with that."

Shang rolled his eyes.

"That's a great idea, Your Majesty. Seriously, what should you do?"

"He can just collect random pieces of information and walk around. That way, it won't look as if our so 'bounty hunter group' is mainly staying around the Palace. It will look as if we are here to do _other_ things."

"I can walk around and look inconspicuous," Tai said dryly.

Shang nodded quickly and got up.

"Let's go before they ask for the coins."

"That's stealing though!"

"We are bounty hunters right now, okay? We kinda do what we want."

Tai looked upwards and dropped a coin in his bowl, still feeling bad about stealing from people like that.

"I saw that. Whatever, lets go."

* * *

><p>Mei walked around the Palace, looking at both sides of it. She noted the windows and the walkways that lead from one high place to another high place. The clouded leopard took mental note of everything. Guard's stared at her. She winked back at them. A few blushed, other's stood there stoic as ever, other's grinned boyishly back at her.<p>

How could she get into the Palace? An idea formed. Weren't they pretending to be bounty hunter's anyways? She walked to a guard.

"How can I see Lord Kun? My group and I are looking for work and we were wondering if the Lord Kun has any _nuisances_ he wants rid of."

"Listen, lady, I don't see any group of yours," the guard sneered back.

"They are out also looking for work in other places. My guess would be that work could be found easily here," said Mei smoothly.

"Well good luck I doubt you'll get to see the Lord Kun though."

"Why not?"

"He's not in office anymore, let's say that, shall we," said the guard, snickering.

"Under new management? Not in the City anymore? Vacation maybe?"

"You could say that…"

Mei stood up straight. So Tai's parents had been moved. What of her own?

"What about anybody else in the Palace? Maybe they could have some work for us?"

"Honey, just forget about the Palace. Anybody of use there is dead."

"Everyone?"

"Everyone."

"Are you sure. I remember I had a run in with a group of clouded leopards that had an important message for Kun heading to this city. We attacked them. Who knows, we could get something valuable from them. They were able to fend us off and escape with something we needed to prove we had succeeded in a mission for a rather important client. There were two of them. They most likely came to the Palace. Were they killed also?"

"I do recall rememberin' two clouded leopard bodies bein' thrown out. Blood everywhere. If you wanted them dead in a most horrific fashion, you got your wish. Their mangled corpses were thrown out."

Mei chocked back the tears. Shang had been right. The soldier had used almost the exact words he had: mangled corpses. Her family had been the only clouded leopard family in the Palace. Her parents had been killed by whoever was in there.

"I guess I'll have to find someone else to get work from."

The guard grinned and winked.

"You know, you could come and work for me."

Mei ran her tail around the torso of the guard and smiled.

"Maybe later."

Mei walked off.

_Try maybe _never! She fumed to herself.

* * *

><p>Shang had been able to start talking with a drunken soldier at a bar. Shang had got the wolf to talk about the number of soldiers in the conquering army and the number of officers. He was able to find out the gossip among the soldiers and find out who liked who, who backstabbed who, who cheated who out of a bottle of the finest wine. Mostly little stuff like that, but it told Shang what type of army with truly was.<p>

"So, this ruler, this Canku and Xisong? Right? Yes? Good. Anyways, they defeated those pussy cats? Haha! How so?"

The wolf laughed and took a swig of his beer. The intoxicated wolf's speech was slurred.

"It wash right down black-hearted that thoshe two planned."

Shang shook his head. The wolf's sentences were getting harder to follow.

"What was the plan?"

He pretended to take a quaff of whatever the wolf had bought for him.

"The two wolfsh had shtarted the plan a whilshe back. They placed shpiesh through the City. Then, one night. Boom! We come in, axshesh shwinging and catch 'em by shurprishe."

"Your leaders must be very clever to think of such plan. Are they going to stop at Mengyou City?"

"Hell no! Thoshe two don't really give a damn about thish City. It'sh jusht a step in their plan. Firsht this city. Next it is going to be the Peaceful Valley or shomething like that. After that. Gongmen City! What a day it will be for our Army in Black! Who knowsh, we might get to the capitol!"

"And cheers to you. Victory should yours on the final day!"

"Cheersh! Hey, let me introdush me to my matesh back at the barracks. One of 'em as always wanted to meet a bounty hunter. Heehee!"

The wolf staggered up and walked a few steps before fainting on the floor from the amount of alcohol he had consumed. The tavern laughed at the drunken wolf. Shang shrugged.

"Stupid wolf," he growled, trying to sound like a scornful bounty hunter. He walked out of the tavern. The bartender called out at Shang.

"You forgot to pay!"

Shang whirled and glared at the pig bartender. The pig's gaze didn't waver. Shang walked forward, taking his time looking at the chairs and the tables. He got to the bar.

"My apologies. Let me get it for you."

Shang didn't have the coin. Tai had all the money with him right now. He hated what he was going to have to do next, but he did it anyways. Shang reached into his cloak. He pulled out a bag filled with rocks to mimic coins. He started to reach in but his paw was suddenly at the pig's throat, knife in hand.

Shang's easy going expression didn't change. The whole bar went silent as they looked at the events that were unfolding. Shang looked around and then said in a voice loud enough for the room to hear.

"You know, pig, I once had a assistant like you. Strong and bold, he was. That pig was one to have at your back. Only, it turned out that I kept him at my back too much. One night he turned on me, trying to get the money that we had just collected. I bloodied my fangs that day, let me tell you. Unfortunately he wounded me up in that mountain pass. I couldn't move without anything hurting. I lay there for a week, trying my hardest to stay alive. My supplies ran out. I looked at the fallen pig. I hadn't moved him from the spot I had killed him at. And you know what; I will always remember the taste of pig's flesh. It was _delicious_! Sadly, most animals looked down on eating others."

The pig shrank back.

"Begone. Don't come back!"

Shang laughed as evilly as he could and started leaving.

"I might never come back. But I might."

Shang walked through the doors of the tavern back onto the streets that were still brightly lit by the overhead sun. He shuddered at what he just said. He didn't like doing that to the folks he had once protected, but if it meant his life and his rulers, he would do so without hesitation. He walked around the streets looking for Mei and Tai. It was Mei who spotted him first. She scared him by sneaking up behind him and then pouncing on him. He had started to growl and turn to attack, but then stopped when he saw it was her.

"Do you know where Tai is?" he asked. They couldn't loose Tai.

"I don't know. Though I do know that Kun and Sun have been moved. They aren't in Mengyou City anymore. Whoever is leading this has moved them. I wasn't able to learn were."

Mei's eyes suddenly filled with tears when she remember the words from the guard about her parents. Shang noticed it and moved Mei to an alleyway. He looked her in the eye.

"Just hold it together till we get back to the tree, okay?"

Mei nodded and they continued their search for Tai. They searched for hours until the sun started setting.

"Where could he be?" Shang asked himself out loud. "We checked the library, the Training school – what was left, and the Scholar's Hall. Nothing. None of the shops…Shops!"

Shang turned to Mei, his face white.

"Mr. Jingli!"

* * *

><p>Tai sat at the table, staring at a completely set up chess board. The old crane sat on the other side of the table, not moving. A cup of cold tea sat next to Jingli. Tai waited for the crane to make a move. The old crane still didn't.<p>

"C'mon, Jingli, make your move. Make it, please!" Tai pleaded. He began to feel hot tears run down his cheeks.

Tai had found the crane dead on his bed, his throat slit. Numbness went over Tai. He barely remembered trying to fix the mortal wound on the throat. He had bandaged it up and wrapped it. He had then sat the dead crane on at seat and got tea ready. He set up the table with tea and chess. A deranged Tai then moved the dead Jingli to his normal spot on the table and proceeded to sit there. He had been sitting there for an hour just staring at the lifeless eyes.

Tai had originally been wondering around the City. He picked up pieces of information here and there. He had inspected the farmers produce, the farmers remembering him from the morning. Tai went to the library and read up on whatever scrolls had been left there. From there Tai just moseyed around the City for hours. His mind was blank as he walked, seeing the destruction that was laid out before him like a misshapen nightmare – only it was real. Tai's stomach growled and he was hungry. He thought of his old friend Jingli.

_I haven't seen him in a while_, he thought. He turned down Jingli's street and noticed that most of the shops had been burned or where boarded up. Panic flooded into Tai. Had Jingli been able to survive the slaughter? He ran to the shop, not caring if his crooked tail showed from beneath the billowing cape. Thankfully, nobody that knew what to look for noticed. He reached the nailed up doors and pried the nails out with his claws. He thanked his ancestors that whoever had done the job had done it poorly. Tai opened the door and heard nothing. No breathing or sweeping of the brush that was familiar to Jingli's shop. He walked around, calling the old crane's name softly.

"I'm here the visit an old friend of mine," he whispered to the nothingness, hoping for an answer. None came. Tai finally found Jingli in his room at the back of the shop with the slit throat.

Tai waited for the crane to make a move. Still nothing.

"You shouldn't have died," he whispered. He buried his head into his arms on the table. He cried openly at the loss for the poor crane that had done nothing but shown him kindness. His face was soaking by the time that Shang and Mei opened the door. Tai's usually bright eyes were dry and dull. Mei's expression softened and she rubbed Tai's back. Shang didn't know what to do, but he saw a slightly different look in Tai's eyes. Something had changed, but he didn't know what.

"There are some cruel creatures out there Tai. We need to be strong and fight back for those who are weak. To make their name proud is a much nobler act than mourning them. If you don't do something about it, who will let Jingli rest in peace?"

Tai looked up, the tear stained face burning into Mei's. She too saw something change in Tai. She also didn't know what.

"I will."

Tai struggled up and put his half-mask back on, to hide his tear streaked face as well. He narrowed his eyes like Mei had suggested he do.

"Let's go."

The three left the building, Tai was the last out. He turned and in a soft voice promised,

"I will make you proud. Rest in peace old one, you will not die in vain."

The three reached the tree by dark. The stars were shining bright and the moon was full giving the forest a light blue tint. The trees stood over them like solemn sentinels, watching over them.

_Why?_ Tai thought in anguish at Jingli's death. _He didn't deserve it! Why did you let this happen ancestors?_

The stars seemed to twinkle back sadly at Tai. He shook his head and held back his tears. Mei also held back tears. The visit to the fallen City had scarred them. Anyone they had held close in their lives was either dead or captive, they had nothing except what was on their backs. The tired trio climbed the tree slowly, not feeling any energy to continue on. They painfully reached the branches they had left their other equipment on and stopped. Mei collapsed into Shang's arms and cried. Shang looked grim as he comforted the female clouded leopard. She buried her face into Shang's face and shut herself out from the world, mourning her parents. Her words of courage to Tai lost to herself. Tai had his back turn to the two and looked out at his old home. A light wind ruffled his fur. He didn't care. The one who had cared for him regardless was dead, his parents gone – captured. He felt a soft wooden surface beneath his paws. It wasn't the rough bark of the tree. He looked down and saw the scabbard of the silver knife. He picked it up and looked at it. He got up and tapped Shang with it. Shang turned to see the scabbard. His face was one of thankfulness.

"Mei, I know how much you are hurting and nothing could heal you except having your parents back. But I'll try my best. I would like to give this to you."

Mei pulled her face off of Shang's chest and looked at the polished cherry wood scabbard. She took it in her paws and undid the delicate lock. She opened the lid to reveal the knife that she had looked a little more than a month before. The knife gleamed in the moonlight as Mei took it from the soft velvet inside. She was astonished.

"How did you get it?"

Shang looked at Tai, then back at Mei. She got the message and bowed to Tai.

"Thank you for the gift."

"It was Shang's doing. I just helped him."

Mei smiled weakly and placed the knife back into the ceremonial scabbard.

"I will treasure this always. Just wait until I show my father…."

Mei choked up again, hot tears spilling out once again at the memories of her parents cut through her like a knife.

It was Tai who spoke to comfort her, repeating the words she told him not but a couple hours before.

"To make their name proud is a much nobler act than mourning them."

Mei gasped.

"And right you are. Let's make them proud."

Shang took the opportunity to ask what they had learned.

"Kun and Sun are no longer here, they have been moved. I don't know where," said Mei, avoiding the subject of her family.

Shang nodded,

"What about you Tai?"

"I overheard something about a robin, but nothing else."

"That's okay. I found something much more valuable." Shang leaned in closer. "They plan to strike at the Valley of Peace next. We must go and warn them!"

"Where _is_ the Valley of Peace, anyways?" asked Tai. He frowned. The tiger prince had studied the maps but he couldn't tell where it was.

Shang pointed to were the River Yisan disappeared behind the mountains.

"All I know is that we need to go that way. If we follow the river, we can find a village that will be able to direct us that way."

"You know that the river Yisan passes through those mountain's over there. The Zuzhou. It always snows and the chances of us finding our way through the blizzards are small," pointed out Tai.

"That is why we follow the river," said Shang flatly. "Look, that river will lead us to a village that we can then ask for directions and be pointed on to the right direction!"

Tai still didn't look convinced, but he gave in.

"Okay, we will follow the River Yisan."

Shang smiled triumphantly.

"When do we leave?" asked Mei.

"We should go now. Bring whatever you need and let's good."

"What about food?" pointed out Tai. "We need provisions!"

"We take what we need while we pass through the farmlands."

Tai deflated, dreading the trek that lay before him.

"Let's go," he said unenthusiastically.

* * *

><p>Three dark figures made their way across the moonlit rows of radish, cabbage, wheat, and other vegetables. The flowing capes and cloaks of their disguises made them look like criminals. Along the way they picked up whatever they could get and put it into the bags they had appropriated from the first farmhouse they got to. With the vegetables and bread products stolen from the wares of a bakery they made their way following the River Yisan. They were silent most of the way, looking for enemies in the shadows. The three felines moved at a fast pace, wanting to get as far away from Mengyou City as they possibly could that night.<p>

The valley the City had been built in was a good size. It had the room for a full city and many farms around it. That also meant that it would take a while until Tai, Shang, and Mei got to the safety of the mountains that surrounded the valley. Those mountains were safe, not usually covered in snow and not too steep. What they truly dreaded was the mountains after these. Those soared into the air with jagged peaks weathered from the countless snow storms. Little lived in those mountains other than the wandering groups of bandits. A few tough plants thrived around the River Yisan whose warmth from the valley became as ice cold as the tips of the mountains itself. The river flowed down the mountains to what was unknown.

Shang looked from side to side as his surroundings became less and less familiar. They had reached the last farm, at the farthest reaches of the valley and started reaching the beginning of the mountains. They needed to move fast, otherwise it would take forever to reach the Valley of Peace and by then, it would be too late to warn them.

"Anybody want a boat?" said Mei in a auctioneer style voice. "It's a fine vessel with a single mast and enough room for three and bags of vegetables! What do you say?"

Shang turned to see what Mei was talking about. There was a boat in the water next to a makeshift dock. It was a flat wooden craft with a long deck and a small cabin at the back. A single mast with a white canvas sail sat just behind the center of the craft. Two pairs of oars were in front of the sail with benches for the workers to row when they were travelling up stream. Small logs rested at the bow of the ship. A curious indent in front of the cabin was the only other thing in the boat that they could see.

"That will do," said Shang and he hugged Mei.

"Thank your ancestors for you good eyesight," said Tai. "Otherwise we would be walking all the way. That would be terrible."

They loaded their equipment and provisions into the boat and cast off.

They let the river carry them through the mountain pass and what lay beyond.

As Shang and Mei got set up for the journey, Tai looked around the cabin. He found a few candles and some extra canvas in case the sail ripped. He found a bed in the cabin as well as a few blankets.

"At least we won't freeze to death," he said, chuckling. He continued around the craft. A small bump made Tai fall to the ground. He would have to get used to being on a boat. He started to get up but noticed a small metal chest underneath the bed alongside another thin chest. Tai pulled them both out and brought the wooden one out first. Mei bounded over and opened the first one.

"Look. Two flutes! We won't be bored throughout the entire way! I know how to play the flute." She leaned back to look at Shang. "You learn this kinda stuff when you travel constantly and don't have anything to keep your mind occupied on."

A thud stopped Mei from putting the flute to her mouth. Tai could be seen struggling trying to drag a metal chest from the cabin. Shang went over to help Tai. Both the Golden cat and tiger struggled to get the heavy metal box out into the open. They finally got it out and stood panting.

"Try putting it in that little hole right there," said Mei, motioning to the square indent.

Tai groaned. He was beginning to hate the box. Finally, the chest was in the indent. It sat there smartly, doing nothing but filling the hole. The felines just stared at it.

"What does it do?"

Shang hunkered down on his knees to get a closer look at it. He tried opening the lid. Nothing happened. Tai bent down and took the top off the chest.

"It doesn't open like the scabbard."

Shang's face was red with embarrassment. He looked down into the chest to avoid the gazes of Mei and Tai.

"I knew that, I was just testing you," he mumbled.

"I passed then."

Mei got down on all fours and peered into it. She looked around at the bottom and saw ashes. Then she looked at the top that lay next to it. She flipped the top over to reveal some flint and steel. Mei looked at the logs at the bow.

"You know how you're not supposed to light a fire in a boat?"

Shang snorted,

"I do. Who wouldn't know?"

"Well I think these people have found a safe way to do so."

Shang looked at the clouded leopard with confusion and disbelief. Tai looked around, trying to see if her theory was plausible. He pieced together what Mei was proposing.

"I believe you," he stated. "The metal box stopped the fire from spreading to the deck. If you look closely you'll noticed a fine metal mesh on the top. The sparks were stopped there most likely. The small logs fit in nicely and you lit it. The metal wouldn't melt and it wouldn't get hot enough to light the wood surrounding it. They certainly thought this through."

Shang's face widened.

"Let's light the fire! I am freezing!"

Tai got the wood. After he placed them in, they took some paper that had been lying around and lit that. Once it was burning fiercely, they threw it in the metal box with some logs. Minutes later they had a fire big enough to warm them and cast light around the dark boat but small enough to keep it from setting the boat on fire. Mei snuggled close to Shang. Tai leaned against the mast opposite from the couple looking up at the stars. Maybe things wouldn't be too bad.

Shang and Mei had fallen asleep next to each other and Tai decided to watch the craft for the first third of the night. He took the long pole that helped direct the boat and leaned against the front side of the mast. Tai heard one of his friends move in their sleep. A mutter rose from one of them and then all was silent again.

Tai spent his watch looking out at the stars. They twinkled back at him like before. Some seemed brighter than other. Others were bigger, while some were just pinpoints of light. He studied them, wondering which of them represented his ancestors. A shooting star flashed across the night. Had he really just seen that? Very few of those every appeared over the night sky where he had lived. Tai looked around, searching for more of the streaks of light. None came. He looked back down at the floor of the boat. The ilex wood was rough on pads of his feet. He looked around at the vegetation, nothing the trees and grass that started to change into other flora he had never seen before but read about. The river started to move a bit faster. He looked ahead, the moon giving light to the surroundings. A shimmer on the left bank of the river caught his eye. He looked where he thought he saw the glow of light. A group of three old tigers, two male, one female, stood there. A faint halo surrounded them and their eyes were closed. Each one turned and, in unison, bowed to Tai before turning away and disappearing into a mist. Tai blinked over and over again. He rubbed his eyes. Had he really just seen that? He shook his head. He must be more exhausted than he thought. He looked up at the stars and could have sworn he saw three new bright ones appear. They twinkled back at him.

Or maybe he had seen what he thought he saw.


	9. Into the Snow

Kar took a deep breath in. The news he had received today was going to drive his Lords up a wall. He pushed open the door of the throne room and walked across the large, open space. He bowed at the steps that led up to the thrones.

"I trust that the riots have finally been crushed and we will have no more issues," stated Canku, his eyes boring into Kar's.

"We will have no more issues…"

Canku seemed to smile and relax. Xisong just smiled and looked down.

"…in the City. That does not mean about the outside."

Both the wolves immediately bolted up, standing above him menacingly. The snow leopard's tone of voice said something that they weren't going to be pleased about. Still, Kar kept his poker face just as calm and bored as ever.

"The boars that we sent out to find the royal couples weak offspring and his friends were found dead, arrow holes in each of their bodies. The black uniform required to be worn by your soldiers had been taken off. Each one was found near one specific tree. We had an ape climb it. She told us that there were scratch marks and the faint sent of lilac perfume. Also she found pieces of fur around two large branches. The branches were large enough to hold the three felines. We followed some well hidden footsteps to a farmer's pasture heading in the direction of the River Yisan."

Canku's eyes blazed with pure murder. Xisong put a paw on her mates shoulder, yet inside, she boiled with rage. How could this incompetent _cat_ have escaped?

Canku took a deep breath in. He started to pace.

"What else were you able to find out, _snow leopard_?"

Kar's eyes narrowed at the derogatory use of his species.

"The tracks were noted to be following the River Yisan, nothing else has been found."

"What about in the City? Anything strange happen in there?" asked Xisong, grasping for something that could lead them to where those bothersome three were headed.

"A group of three bounty hunters came in the day after your victory. Two soldiers had a run in with two of them. The third didn't talk much and mostly wondered down any road he wanted."

"How did this 'run in' end up? Was there a fight?"

"No fight. Both guards report that both asked lots of questions. One says he was drunk, so he doesn't know what the guy said. The other guard remembers her asking about…."

Canku's head turned at the world _her_.

"Did you say _her_?"

"Yes, sir."

Canku raised his head and smirked.

"We have them," he breathed. "Send a group of soldiers after them."

"They wouldn't catch up. A boat was stolen from a farmer. Chances are the three are on it. We have no boats. And commandeering one isn't much use, there aren't boats around here fast enough to catch up," Kar said grimly. His master's plan might be destroyed right there.

"Desperate times like these remind me to savor victory," said Xisong. "Yet is also shows me what I truly am capable of. You say that they cannot catch up with boats. What of the birds? A bird can fly faster than a land animal can run or a boat can carry them. Tell the birds to fly over to them and catch them."

Kar bowed and left the room. He walked along the red carpet with swift steps. The avian kind had been situated in the towers of the Palace. He envied them for their ability to fly, but other than that found them weak and rather disgusting at times. Kar eyed the stairs in front of him with revulsion, why couldn't the damn birds be in the barracks like his own troops. Sometimes, things were _too _organized. Kar reached the top of the steps. He knocked on the wooden door. It was opened by a goose and ushered him in.

"What do you want, land dweller?" asked Quan, not looking up from his scrolls.

Kar growled and put his paw on the scroll. He started to slowly pull it out.

"I want respect from my underlings!"

The hawk looked up and stood up as straight as a bird could. He gave a quick salute.

"My apologies," he quickly stammered out.

"Not good enough, but it will do."

Kar picked up the scroll and held it over the candle flame. The hawked looked at Kar with disbelief.

"That is a letter from my father."

"Really? Then I hope you have read it," said Kar, keeping his voice flat. "A quick reminder of who I am and the power that I have."

Quan's face hardened. He saluted once more and held it this time,

"You are my commanding officer, I have not forgotten."

"Good, now make sure you don't forget what I am told to tell you. If you do, it is Canku you will be answering too."

The snow leopard waited for a reply. Nothing.

"He has asked you to send out a squadron of predator birds to track down and kill the prince and his friends. They just need to follow the River Yisan and they will catch up to them. Am I clear?"

"As the sky," replied the hawk, his predator eyes still on the snow leopard.

Kar smiled and left the realm of the birds. He loved his newfound power. It had taken a few weeks to get used to it, but soon after, he enjoyed being able to push those underneath him around. He was second in command – well, third really – and he could do what he wanted. Inside the wolves' reign that is.

A flurry of wings attracted his attention upwards. There were the bringers of death for the prince and whatever animals still walked with him.

Kar smiled, he had made a good choice with following the wolves'. They were not ones to trifle with. Their victory was assured. China would be theirs. He would have the luxury of it yet not the responsibilities. He had the best position in the entire army.

* * *

><p>Shang and Tai faced Mei, who stood at the tiller – their bodies going to the rhythm of their hearts. They were rowing. It had been hard work, blisters in the paws for the two males, from most of the day spent rowing. Already, the sun was beginning to set from its zenith. Mei hadn't yet taken the oars. Mei's excuse was that she couldn't do it because she had a weak upper body. Tai didn't buy it but Shang told her it was fine. Tai promised himself that Mei would row. He concentrated on the mast in front of him. <em>Pull, lift, circle, put in, pull.<em> The rowing had become a mindless task for him and Shang now. Their minds wandered. Tai contemplated on whether to tell them of his experiences last night or to keep it a secret. Shang ventured on darker things. What he was going to do those who dared attack Mengyou City. He got bored of this and contented himself to stare at Mei. He looked her body up and down. She caught him staring and shook her head.

_Who knows what Shang is thinking right now_, she thought.

"I think I saw a couple ghosts last night," Tai blurted out.

The two other felines looked at Tai with disbelief.

"Yes, and I am a monkey," Shang said.

Even Mei laughed.

"Are you okay Tai?"

"I am fine and I am serious! I saw three tigers standing on the shore. They had their eyes closed and they bowed to me. After that they vanished! I tell you I'm not making this up!"

"Believe what you want," Shang said.

"It could be your ancestors," said Mei. "They have been known to come back down and say hello once and a while."

Shang snorted,

"Not you!"

"Just look out for them, they could help you at any time."

The Golden cat harrumphed.

"They haven't helped me so far!"

Mei shrugged.

The three were silent for an hour before Tai forced Mei to take the oar. Begrudgingly, she did. Tai went into the tent to sleep. Outside he heard the laugher of Mei and Shang. He looked down at the deck of the boat inside the cabin. Never would he find someone meant for him. He lay down on the cot. The rowing certainly was tiring work…

A cry of shock made Tai bolt up in bed. How long had he slept? He got out of the cabin and readied himself for a gruesome scene. Nothing but the whiteness of snow and rock greeted him. A snowball met his face. He was knocked back. Wiping snow from his face, he started to look at their surroundings.

They were in the Zuzhou Mountains! All he saw was snow and ice. It was beautiful. The rocky formations soared above him like great monoliths guarding the river. The river, once cool and refreshing now was ice cold with chucks of ice floating parallel to the boat. A frozen wind sent particles of snow at the three felines. The snow clung to their fur, giving them almost angelic appearances – even Shang. Ice was formed into curving figures from the winds that had so often passed through. Tai could almost imagine archways, ice sculptures, and rooms among the mountains. It was a citadel meant for nobody but savage beauty of the elements. Those who dared try to triumph over them were crushed mercilessly by the Earth herself.

On the other paw, the mountains had been always told to him that they were always howling with blizzards. That creatures never before seen haunted these fabled cliffs. He saw none of that here. The unadulterated snow gave an almost peaceful feeling. Perhaps the journey through these mountains wouldn't be so bad.

Mei jumped over Tai and hid behind him. Shang was coming after her with a snowball in both paws. He flung one at Mei. She ducked behind her living shield and it hit Tai. Shang saved his last snowball. He made a motion with his head. Tai understood it perfectly. He scrambled up and dove out of the way. Mei was left in the open. She got hit in the chest with a perfectly aimed snowball. Mei got back up immediately and tackled Shang. While the two were wrestling, Tai walked nonchalantly over and got two buckets. He dipped them into the river. With them full he chucked the freezing contents over Shang and Mei. They stood their drenched and shocked. Tai smiled.

"Never bring a third party into a two man battle. Whose side will he choose?"

"Shut up, Confucius," mumbled Shang, grabbing a towel. He walked into the cabin and changed into whatever they had. Of all the things, they forgot to bring an extra pair of clothes. All the clothing they had with them where their black outfits and the clothes they had on the night of the attack. Shang walked out with the black pants on and no shirt.

"Aren't you cold?"

"That is what fur is for," he stated coolly.

Mei went in a changed. Thankfully, she had taken off her cloak last night, so it was still dry. She walked out with only that on. It reached her knees.

"It's like a dress, in case your wondering how it feels," she said with the same tone Shang had used.

"We weren't wondering," said Tai. "I don't really care what you wear."

"Neither do I," said Shang. "But I also care about what's underneath!"

Mei blushed and Tai groaned.

"Do you ever get tired of _that_, Mei?" asked Tai.

"No, I find _that_ flattering."

"What love will do," murmured Tai.

"Yes, what love will do," said Mei back to Tai. "Love and hatred are two of the most powerful emotions. I'd say pride is next."

The three didn't say anything after that. They just stood their, looking out at the passing landscape. A sudden wind pushed against the sails and they sped forward. The boat bounced up and down as it reached small rapids. The felines scrambled to hold onto something, least they loose their footing and plunge into the icy river below. Though the rapids were small, they had never been on the rapids before. Only the knowledge gained from books and scrolls that told them what to do let them man the watercraft. Water sprayed up against the boat. The boat suddenly lurched downward. The bow dipped into the water for a second then sprung back up. Eyes wide with fear, the felines gripped tighter on what they could fine as they waited for whatever was next. It didn't come. The rapids were over. Slightly shaken, Shang was the first to rise and regain his footing. He helped Tai and Mei back up. Tai ran to the stern to look back the rapids.

"Those rapids weren't that bad, they just seemed like it," he called back to his two other friends. "I hope we don't see anymore bigger than that."

"And if we do?" asked Shang.

"Chances are we will drown in the waters after our boat is smashed."

"Well, there's a happy thought."

Tai nodded in agreement despite Shang's sarcastic remark. He turned back and noticed the sun peeking out between the rough mountains near the horizon. His stomach rumbled telling him that it was time for dinner. Tai got the wood from the bow of the boat and brought it to the metal box in the indent of the boat – the firebox as they had started calling it. After the flame had started to give off a sufficient amount of heat, he went and got the ingredients for some soup. Pouring the fresh stream water into the kettle they had found, he let it boil. All while he cooked Shang and Mei just sat by the small fire and warmed themselves as night fell and darkness overtook them. As the soup was being served, the stars appeared above them, shining through the clouds that lazily drifted above. The soup warmed their tummies and gave them a new sense of energy. After a second helping, they dumped the rest for the fish. Each feline felt comfort next to a warm fire and good friends. Tai had found a small chess board in the back and challenged the couple – Shang and Mei – to a game. They stood no chances but played anyways.

"Checkmate," said Tai triumphantly an hour later.

Mei yawned. Shang blinked wearily.

"Ugh, I'm never playing you again," said Mei. "I'm going to sleep. My head hurts. What about you Shang?"

Shang was already asleep.

"I'll take first watch again," said Tai.

Mei thanked him. She curled up next to Shang and fell asleep shortly after.

Tai put the chess board away and stood at the tiller. He made slight adjustments to the boat, taking care they did not run into any of the numerous rocks that littered the river. When he reached a straight the required no movement he looked back up at the stars.

"So, what is next?" he asked, still gazing up at the stars.

The stars just sparkled back at him in a mismatch pattern. A group of three shooting stars lanced across the sky. One was pure white, the other was colored red, and finally the third was just a slight hue of blue. He followed the shooting stars as far as he could till they disappeared. The tiger looked down from the skies at the river; nothing to be worried about ahead. He looked to his right. Like the front of them, there was nothing. He glanced to his left. His eyes narrowed in disbelief. The same three old tigers he had seen before where standing right there, walking next on the river's edge. They kept pace with the boat with ease regardless of the boats speed. One made the motion with his hand. Tai studied it closely. It looked as if someone was slowing down.

_Slow down_, a voice echoed through Tai's head.

Tai looked wildly around. He felt panic blossom in his chest. The voice spoke again.

_Peace, child. Do not be afraid. We are here to help_.

Tai turned slowly to face the three as he slowed the boat till it barely moved. He continued to stare at the three old tigers. They bowed in unison. Tai bowed in return, unsure what to do.

_Peril you will experience if you do not listen to exactly what I say,_ the voice echoed once more in Tai's head. Though it told of danger, Tai felt immediately calmer.

_Rapids you approach. Rapids that will wreck your boat and kill you. Gather your friends and your supplies. Leave the boat to drift. No fires tonight. I bid you good luck. Remember Tai, we are here…_

As the last of the voice's words faded in Tai's head the three bowed once more and disappeared. Tai's sense of calm left. He blinked quickly. Tai rubbed at his eyes but stopped as he heard a faint, yet distinct sound. He listened closer. The sound of water rushing downwards and hitting rocks filled his ears.

The rapids!

"Wake up!" he roared. "Get up! Grab as much as you can, rapids are ahead! Big ones too!"

Shang bolted upright. His military training kicked in. He grabbed Mei by the scruff at the back of her neck and hoisted her up unceremoniously. With Mei fully awake when Tai explained to her what was ahead, she scurried around, picking up various items that were vital for their survival out in the mountains.

"Can we carry the firebox?" she said, pushing in the last of the vegetables into a bag.

"It's too heavy and we would have to bring firewood as well," said Shang. "But we will just take the firewood. We need fire to stay warm. If we don't, we'll freeze."

Shang grabbed as much firewood as he could. Tai came out of the cabin carrying the few weapons they had along with the now dry clothes. Mei had picked up the food and provisions.

"Throw them to the banks! We will jump out and get them on the side later."

Each animal threw their precious cargo to the snow white rock on the riverbanks.

Tai jumped. He fought against the current and was able to drag himself to the shore.

"C'mon! Hurry!" he yelled croakily, water still in his mouth. He hoped that his voice reached the other two.

Mei looked at Shang. Emotions swirled around her head. _Water_. Shang saw the look of fear in her eyes. He held her paw.

"I won't let you go," he promised.

Mei nodded. With Shang holding her paw, she jumped. Time seemed to slow down for her. The water surging beneath her, as if it wanted the reach up and grab her – to pull her down to the bone chilling depths and crush her. She could see Tai on the riverbanks running toward them. She looked to her right. Shang had a snarl on his face as his body tipped downwards. Mei looked forward back at the water. The water slammed into her body. She was used to the snow, but this was not snow. It was water that is below freezing but cannot freeze because of its movement. She opened her eyes. Nothing was in font of her put darkness. The water clawed at her and pulled her down. Mei remembered Shang kicking his feet to stay afloat. Her feet swished wildly yet still she sank. Terror gripped her, but the arms of Shang gripped her tighter as they wrapped around her waist. Shang wasn't used to swimming in cold waters like this, but adrenaline and his love for Mei gave him strength he never thought he had. They surged upward.

Tai looked around frantically for his friends. He had seen Mei and Shang jump, paw in paw. They had to be together. He looked back to make sure the equipment was still there. Thankfully, they were there. Tai frantically searched up and down his side of the river. A splash alerted him. Tai's eyes shot down the river. There! Just above the waves were Shang and Mei, their heads barely clearing the crashing waves of the water as it rushed to the rapids. Tai sprinted over, snow clinging to his fur. Lying flat on the ground, he reached out.

"Shang!" he cried out. "Take my paw! I'll try to pull you two to shore."

Shang gratefully took the tiger's paw and felt him being pulled to safety. He clung to Mei even tighter with his other arm, not wanting her to slip between his grasp. Though the Golden cat's grip on Mei was unbreakable, he started slipping from Tai's grasp.

"We're slipping!" Shang yelled hoarsely.

"Use your claws," said Tai, grimacing at what was going to happen next.

Shang's sharp claw dug into Tai's flesh. Blood began to seep out of the wounds, tarnishing the snow as it dripped from the fresh wounds. Trying his best to ignore the pain, Tai pulled harder. Shang's claws went deeper into his arm. Tai roared with pain as it started to cut further than he anticipated. A piece of drift wood clung to Mei's pants, weighing them down. Gritting his teeth and with a powerful tug, Tai pulled the two to shore. As Tai rubbed his wounds into the snow to cleanse it, he noticed how the snow turned from a brilliant white, even in the dark, to a velvet red. Tai ripped the edge of his cloak and wrapped his arm tightly.

"It will heal," he assured Shang as he helped the two shivering animals up.

They sat in a dank cave. After pulling them out of the water, Tai had struggled to help the two and him to find a cave to stay in. After a deadly twenty minutes, they had found a shallow cave, nothing more than a slight indent in the rugged mountains. Disregarding what the three old tigers had said, he built a fire and moved Shang and Mei close to it.

"Thank my ancestors we brought a couple blankets from the boat," he said. "Oh, and my ancestors also warned me. I think that they really are there, not just something I saw."

Shang and Mei said nothing, their teeth still chattering. Tai let the blanket drape over the two and he sat down on the opposite side. Shang's head dropped slightly. Mei just nestled even closer to Shang, more for warmth than a display of affection.

"I'm going to get some sleep," said Tai. "Right now, I could sleep for a week."

Tai got as comfortable as he could on the rocky ground.

"Don't let your tail drag into the embers as you sleep," warned Mei. "Otherwise, you'll have it charred and ready to eat. I'm still to cold to move."

Tai moved his crooked tail away from it. He pulled himself closer together.

"I hope we still can make it to the Valley of Peace," he muttered before falling asleep.

* * *

><p>Quan, the hawk captain, gave a piercing cry. Other calls beset the air in reply to his command. Quan angled his body down and made for an outcropping of rock. His claws clacked as they touched the rock. Other raptors and a variety of birds landed next to him. His hunter's eyes looked down at the rushing River Yisan. They had been looking for the damn boat now for days now. Those felines could not have gone that far. Already, some of the avian used to flying in warmer weather had begun to look haggard. The peaks of these mountains were not a place for a hawk or <em>any<em> bird to fly. Quan's eyes darted around at his troops. They paced around. Two of the smallest birds, a pigeon and a sparrow stood together. Surprisingly the smaller birds were doing better. The hawk's men were not weak, it was the elements that they fought against now – and they were loosing.

An eagle hopped over to Quan. The eagle's voice reached his ears other the wind.

"Sir, we have followed the wolves' instructions to the letter, there is no sign of the tiger. There is not one piece of evidence that we can use to even tell that they went this way!"

Quan held up a wing to silence the eagle.

"Do you not think I know that?" he snapped back, irritated.

"I was just bringing it to the foremost of your attention, sir. No disrespect meant."

Quan bobbed his head.

"I understand. I too share your own thoughts."

"Sirs!" a crow spoke up. "I have noticed a bit of wood floating along the stream."

"Where?"

Quan flapped over the crow.

"There," said the crow, pointing her wings to the river.

"Let's fly down!" Quan commanded.

The squad of birds flew down to the snowy banks of the river. Pieces of wood floated in front of them. Rapids lay up the river. Quan eyed the scene curiously. The tiger had no experience with watercraft, he remembered. A fitting fate.

"Search down the river," he commanded. Two birds flapped down the stream, looking for broken bodies and any other pieces of evidence. A short while later and they stood in front of Quan.

"What did you find, if you found any?"

The crow bowed her head.

"We search up and down twice. We found nary a body or a scrap of clothing. We did find broken containers and boxes. Perhaps they heard the rapids and dove out."

Quan rolled his eyes.

"We're going upriver!"

They flew until they spotted exactly what they had been looking for. Blood red snow glistened under the blue light the quarter moon cast down on the group of killers. A torn piece of fabric was noticeable as it clung to some drift wood that had lodged itself neatly on the rocks that lay on the banks of the river. The hawk looked around for anything else. If they had escaped from the boat, where were the paw prints? Snow hit his body.

_Damn,_ he thought. _The snow could have covered them up_.

Quan clacked his beak together in frustration. They couldn't go back to Canku and Xisong without proof that they truly were dead. He stared into the landscape beyond the river. What he could see was covered in snow with the occasional rock defying the snow and showing itself to the world. He saw no blood path. But whoever had the injury could have wrapped it and stopped the bleeding. Quan paced to keep warm and to continue thinking. He and his troops had already been searching for an extended period of time. More than they had bargained for. Any further searching could kill them. The swift strike at Chorh-Gom Prison wasn't prolonged searches in the snow. This could swallow them whole. And if it would kill hardened veterans, it would kill a little kitty cat prince and his friends. Quan's face contorted into what he thought was a grin, his beak allowing only so much movement. He called to three of the smallest members in the unit. The pigeon and sparrow were in front of him immediately. The other bird, a spoonbill, was soon standing to attention next to her other comrades.

"I am giving you an important task," stated Quan. He pointed with his wing at the mountain area beyond them. "Search out over there, as far as you like, for the three. Whatever you find of importance come back and report to me at once. Now go!"

With a loud flapping of wings, the three birds took off. As soon as they were out of earshot, Quan called in the rest of the larger birds.

"We cannot go back without looking like we were in a fight. As the three small birds come back to us, we kill them. Bloody yourselves, make the red liquid go over you to look as if you were in a terrible fight. Hopefully it will fool Canku and Xisong."

The eagle spoke up.

"Why would we kill our own, sir?"

"I don't want to, but what would you rather? Your neck sliced off by an angered wolf or the death of three lesser beings?"

The eagle lowered his eyes.

"My life is worth more to me than anything right now. I am with you. What of the three we chase after? We don't know for certain they are dead."

Quan's eyes narrowed.

"It is a gamble I am willing to take. The weather of these cursed mountains will slow them. If they are lucky, they will make it out of the mountains yet die soon of whatever black diseases these mountains will give to them. Other than that, they will die amidst the snow and ice."

A general murmur of agreement went from the rest of aviators.

"We are with you."

* * *

><p>Shang tossed another log into the fire with paws that trembled only slightly. He was getting warmer. The cold no longer bothered him as much as before. Tai had fallen asleep shortly after he lay down and Mei had been out way before that. Shang sat back down next to Mei. The Golden cat rubbed her back gently, running his hand through her silky fur. Mei smiled in her sleep. This journey might not be too bad after all. Shang frowned. That was fool's talk. The mountains were a deadly place now and they had no map. Of all the things to forget when they abandon ship! It would have been helpful to have just the slightest idea of where they were! He must find a way. His friends depended upon it – not to mention his own survival!<p>

Shang got up. He walked to the edge of the cave. Daring to venture further he moved away from the cave, forgoing the warmth and shelter. From his position now he could see….nothing. Just the blizzard greeted him. The wind blew right through him. He shivered. This wasn't the best place to be right after you get over a cold. The dry air stung his throat and he coughed. Hugging himself for warmth he sloshed back to the cave. He twitched his ears. The howling wind and the

…_flutter of wings?_

Shang paused. He listened harder. Silence met him. His mind must have been playing tricks on him. Shang yawned as he realized he must be in need of sleep more than he thought. A squawk penetrated the drone of the wind. There were birds out here! Hope began to fill Shang. Maybe there was a way to escape from their snowy dungeon.

"Hello?" he called out. "Is anybody there?"

As much as he wished an answer to come back to him, he didn't expect it.

"Are you there?" Shang called again. "We are lost and need your help! Please!"

Shang looked around, hoping he would catch a glimpse of whoever was out there. Not even an outline of a creature could be seen.

* * *

><p>"You fool!" screeched the spoonbill. "He's heard us!"<p>

The crow picked herself up and glowered at the other.

"It was not me who stopped without warning. Communication is important incase you didn't know, feather bag."

The spoonbill ruffled her feathers and was about to retort back about how at least she could stop herself from falling when the sparrow hushed them. They clamped their beaks shut as the footsteps of somebody approached there hiding spot. They pressed up against the rock. Whatever happened they could not be seen. The feline walked passed them yelling into the air. The crow snickered and whispered,

"We could give him some _help_."

"Those aren't our orders," snapped the sparrow. "There are still two others out there. Where are they? Look around."

The spoonbill and crow searched as the sparrow kept his eyes on the Golden cat.

"I think we've got 'em," said the crow. "That glow right there. Fire."

"Let's go after the cat goes back to the cave."

* * *

><p>Shang stumbled back into the cave. He was shivering once more. The voices and noises were just a trick, nothing more. They were stuck here. They would die, frozen to death. Or starved to death. Either option wasn't pleasant. He sat in his spot next to Mei and wrapped himself back up in the blanket. Mei's body pressed up against him. He felt her warmth seep into his body. Shang allowed himself a tight smile. Mei was a joy to him, nobody understood him like her. Perhaps Tai, but he had a different relationship with Mei. Something closer. It didn't matter as much though as getting out of here. The Golden cat stared at the fire, almost willing it to show him the way. It crackled and popped, eating away at the wood. A small burst of wind entered the cave and the fire fluttered. Shang bent down and blew gently at the embers. They glowed at the newfound oxygen and the fire flared back up. With the fire back up he continued to watch it, least it extinguish once more. A strange sensation filled Shang. A shivered, not with cold this time. Another wind filled the cave, but it did not touch the flame. Instead a whisper could be heard inside the wind, as if it were talking. It muttered about what was happening, where it had travel, and other random pieces of information. Shang shook his head. His head was playing tricks on him again. The wind seemed to whisper back,<p>

_Why would we play tricks on you? We help you with your journey._

Shang's eyes widened. Was he truly hearing this? Wind did not whisper, let alone speak at all. The fire flared up and a tongue of the flame burst into the air above. It twisted and turned until it formed a Chinese character. Shang studied it as long as he could. He reverted back to what Tai had told him. What was this word? It was a character of direction. He drew the character in his mind. His paw made the brush strokes on the rocky floor without him realizing it.

"East!" he shouted, springing up. Mei's head, which had been resting on Shang's shoulder, fell to the floor.

Mei sat up rubbing her head. Tai got up, blinking unenthusiastically, slightly flustered from his rude awakening.

"East!" repeated Shang. "We go east!"

Mei, still massaging her head looked at her lover oddly.

"What?"

Shang bent down on his knees and looked Mei directly in the eye.

"We go to the east. The Valley of Peace is east of these mountains! If we follow whatever paths we can find that lead east, we should eventually reach the Valley."

It was Tai's turn to look at his friend with a confused expression.

"What made you choose that direction?"

Shang huffed.

"You aren't going to believe me."

"Try me."

"A wind filled the cave and it seemed to wrap around the fire. A flame leapt out and formed the character for east."

Tai said nothing.

"I believe you. I've had those three tigers appear to me twice now. It seems that events beyond our comprehension are happening."

"Again please?"

Tai rolled his eyes. Shang was mocking his use of what the Golden cat called, 'big words.'

"Impossible stuff it happening to us."

Shang grinned.

"I liked your first explanation better. Since you both agree with me, you do right, Mei?"

Mei nodded. She trusted him.

"Alright, let's pack up our stuff and get ready to leave in the morning. For now though, I'm going back to sleep and am not waking till that sun rises!"

Shang plopped down the cold stone next to the fire and lay there. Tai and Mei got whatever stuff they had taken out and shoved it back in the canvas sacks. Tai got back into his previous position near the fire. Mei lay next to Shang, sharing his warmth.

Tai envied Shang and Mei just a bit right now, they were warmer than he. Tai yawned. His mouthful of glittering white teeth and fangs showed. Anyone there would have been frightened at the display, but would have laughed upon hearing the only thing they had bitten were vegetables.

* * *

><p>The spoonbill, crow, and sparrow all sped recklessly back toward their camp. This news would shock Quan to no ends. As they neared the river, they heard the sound of water flowing but no voices.<p>

"Captain, we have brought our…" the crows statement was cut short by a talon piercing its heart. The spoonbill was also trapped under the claws of an eagle. Another bird started tearing at the spoonbill. She screamed in agony, her body writhing as her precious red liquid drained. A wing was torn off. Bone showed along with the torn muscle and sinew. Shock made her heart collapse. The spoonbill gurgled and lay there like stone. Still the other birds tore at her body, bloodying their beaks, feathers, and talons. The sparrow faired no better. The legless bird tried to lift himself, trying to get away from the three raptors that tortured him. Two trails of blood followed him, marking out exactly where he had ventured. The sparrow's heart beat faster than it had ever beaten before.

_Why were they doing this?_

Quan stepped in the way of the struggling bird. He slowly put his menacing talons around the sparrow's fragile head. He started to squeeze slowly. The pressure on the sparrow's skull increased.

"Why are you doing this?" the sparrow managed to breathe out.

"So our necks will be saved," hissed the hawk.

The sparrows mind rushed. They thought the prince and his friends were dead. Regardless of what he said, he would die. His death would go unnoticed. The lie the hawk was to tell: the three small birds were killed in action with the stronger birds overcame the three felines and murdered them. But if he let them go and wolves' found about this treachery, the hawk would face a death more horrible than this. The sparrow smiled on the inside.

"We have found nothing," he murmured.

With those last words, the hawk crushed the sparrow's head. Brains oozed out were the skull and skin had been fractured. One of the eyes had been skewered on the talon of the hawk and it stuck to it when he released it. Quan shook it off in disgust as he eyed his ghastly handiwork. This, as he looked around at the bloodied birds, was going to fool Canku and Xisong, no mistake. They looked as if they had been through a massacre. It was perfect.

"Let's go home and tell of the tragic death of our three comrades. Let us tell of the death of the three cats as well and be hailed heroes!"

A ragged cheer was raised from the bloodthirsty birds. Each one flapped its wings and they all headed back to Mengyou City where Canku and Xisong would be waiting. Then, they would traverse the Chinese land, conquering all that dared oppose them. It would be _glorious!_


	10. Allies Among Us

Ru stood at his tent. The rhino had taken the responsibility of carting Kun and Sun off with relish. He could do whatever he wanted with the two, but could not kill them. He had taken great pleasure in causing whatever pain he could to his former Lord and Lady. Now he was in control with a group of elite two hundred strong. When Canku and Xisong, his true leaders, returned with the bulk of the army, he would head back and assume control over Mengyou City. He finally had the leadership he deserved. Kun Zhu was soft – not when he had gone berserk in the hallways though. His short tail twitched in annoyance at the memories of the large male tiger tearing his way through his troops. Sun was just as soft as Kun, even more so. He would rule Mengyou City like no one had ever ruled it before. There would be changes, but for what he thought would be the better. He walked to a black tent made of heavy canvas. As he stepped inside the smell of blood, both dried and fresh met his nostrils. The hooded torturer, a panther, turned from his task and bowed to Ru. He took no notice of the panther but went straight to what animal the panther had been torturing. A female tiger was kneeling there, her face to the canvas wall. It was Sun Nushi. They had known that Kun was stronger than Sun, but he would do anything out of love for his wife. Thus, the rhino had chosen to torture her. Right now she wore no shirt – they gave her no privacy when they tortured her. Ropes ran down her back. Pieces of barb, glass, nails, and other jagged objects had been embedded in the rope. Already, strips of fur had been ripped off and the pink flesh showed underneath. Places that had already undertaken the device were red with blood.

"Carry on," Ru motioned to the panther.

The panther took the strips of rope and shoved each piece of jagged edge into her skin. Sun groaned and gritted her teeth. Taking the ends of the strips he tied them together to a piece of wood. The panther gripped the wood in his paws and put it against Sun's back. He started to pull slowly, letting the sharp edges cut and rip the skin. Blood oozed out of the fresh wounds. The panther ignored the cries of pain from the tiger as he pulled in along her back. Ru enjoyed watching the tiger's body twist in agony.

"Again, along the scabs from last time," said Ru once the panther had finished.

The panther nodded and huffed through its nose. The panther got the pieces of rope back in position to repeat the process. Twice more did the rhino have the torture done to Sun.

"Untie her and throw her back in the prison tent," Ru said. He sneered at the limp body of Sun. He couldn't kill her, but he could harm her past his wildest dreams. The wolves' had given him a position of revenge. He intended to use it to its fullest. Guards dragged the female tiger to a different black tent fifty feet away from the torture tent. Ru had placed them so close so that the other prisoners could hear the screams of the tormented. It was all part of physiological warfare that Canku and Xisong were so keen on. This helped with persuading the other captives to tell them whatever they needed to know.

The Guards tossed Sun onto the dirt floor of the tent. Kun turned to watch. Scars were visible all along his body. They had tortured him mercilessly the first week before moving onto Sun. His long fur was hiding the scars well, but they were still very noticeable. He growled as menacingly as he could. The guards were impassive. They tied up Sun just out of reach from Kun with practice only they had and left. As the tent flap swung back to its original position, Kun got as close as he could to Sun.

"Are you okay? No, you're not okay, of course. What am I thinking? Talk to me!"

Sun just lay there. Kun sat back and waited for his wife to regain consciousness. Time passed sluggishly. When she finally stirred, Kun was back as close as he could get.

"Sun?" Kun asked weakly.

"Hello, Kun," Sun said quietly. "How I wish I could….be at your side."

Sun tried lying down, but the wounds on her back prevented her from doing so. She rolled over and reached out her paw. Kun reached out also. They were barely able to hold their paws together, a small sign of comfort, but stronger than anything.

"What did they do to you this time?" asked Kun, knowing what the answer was anyways.

"The same as last time, the barbed ropes."

"At least they didn't do that thing were it seems like you are to drown."

Sun coughed up blood. She spat it as far away from her as she could.

"I don't know where that came from."

Kun could tell that his wife was embarrassed. She had never been one to be able to withstand such horrendous pain. Added to that, she was used to an easier life. The thought of spitting was such a _low_ thing to do. Yet her she was doing it.

"We will be okay. Just be happy knowing that Tai and those two made it safely away."

Sun smiled at the thought of her son free as she fell into a deep sleep. Her body needed it to recover and endure the future tortures. A gruff voice spoke. It had a strange accent, it wasn't from anywhere in China Kun could tell.

"You love her don't you?"

Kun sat up straight and looked around the tent. It was dark since the tent was black canvas and they provided no light other than that which shone through the split at the tent entrance. His night vision was good, but the tent was beyond that.

"I do. I love my son also."

"I wish I could have found love sometimes, but I am fortunate I didn't."

Kun shakily stood up and tried to move around the tent. The chains clanked together.

"Why not?"

"If I had, my lover would have been heart-broken knowing that her mate was to be captured and forced to kill for these wolves."

Kun froze and his heart thudded. This animal had no problems killing it seemed; but it was forced? What did that mean?

"What do you mean _forced_? And what is your accent?"

The sound of foot paws padding on the ground met Kun's ears. A dark eye surround by pure white fur met him.

"I am forced to kill. While I am intoxicated, I do things I would not normally do. One of the things those damn wolves found out is I kill without second thought. A terrible curse as I live with the burdens of innocent faces etched into my mind. I see them walking before in my sleep. As for where I am from, I come from a place north of your homeland, China. Past Mongolia where the wolves have come out from – though they did originate in China. No, I live in a frozen land of ice and snow during the winter and a wet, green summer awaits me after the ice has thawed. It as no name, but I have one. I am called Aleksey Kochevnik. What of you, comrade?"

Kun thought for a moment. The name the white furred animal spoke was foreign to him. Never before had he heard those sounds before. He spoke the name aloud three times to get used to the strange combinations.

"An honor to meet you Aleksey. Where I come from, I was called Lord Kun Zhu. You may just call me Kun. My wife, as I assume you have figured out that is what the other tigers is to me, is called Lady Sun Nushi."

The black eye widened.

"You were the ruler the whisperings of the camp had been about. The ruler of the conquered state of Mengyou City? Am I not correct?"

Kun sighed.

"Correct you are. I have lost everything. My son, I pray to my ancestors, has escaped and is out of harms way."

"I don't mean to be such a pessimist, comrade, but I fear he is in harms what regardless."

"Why do you say that?" thundered Kun. Did he know how weak Tai was? Kun shook his head and corrected himself. No, Tai was not weak in mind, just body. Physical strength would come to him.

"Because, if he had gone with way, he would have run into this group of elite," the gruff voice said. "If he had gone the way of the wolves, he would have gone into Mongolia, a place that would not be smart to go. The only other option, from what I know, but what do I know? The only other option, based on what I have heard, is following the River, what is that river? I have spent a while with your language, but it is still difficult to me."

The white-furred face looked down as Aleksey thought.

"No matter with names. He will run into the mountains."

Kun's mind flashed back to the geography of the Mengyou Valley. The snow blasted mountains that surrounded it where deadly. Kun's heart dropped to his stomach. Perhaps his family was doomed. Aleksey continued,

"Still, take heart comrade, if whoever you pray to is listening, they will help your son out."

Kun gnashed his teeth together. Hopefully they would. Kun decided he had enough of the topic and switched it back over to Aleksey.

"Tell me, Aleksey, what species are you. And how did you end up here of all places? If you live so far north as you say, how did the wolves get to you?"

"Comrade, you tread on my territory now. But, you have shared much of your life, I can only repay back."

Aleksey got to his full height. Kun was shocked. He had expected a massive beat to tower above him, yet the white furred animal only reached his shoulder. Aleksey got as close as he could to Kun and sat down, crossed legged. The black eyes bored into Kun's orange and yellow ones with such intensity. The white furred animal started his tale.

"I come from a band of nomad snow foxes. We inhabit the farthest northern reaches of the North." He chuckled. "Some say it is so cold, our blood as ice in it. I do not believe that though. As I was say, my comrades and I roam the land for food. Whatever we find that has not been claimed we take. We settle in a place for a year at the most and then move on. You would be surprised of how well our tribe was doing. Regrettably, the good times could not – will never – last forever. Food was running low. We were forced to go south and walk on the lands of others. Some were kind, other hostile. We reached a place of good health and started out daily routine. The land was different, remember that comrade. It was hard to live for the months ahead, but we toughed it out. I decided to search for food even lower. The tribe called me crazy, but they let me go. A bird was hired when we reached a small village of Iktusk. The bird was to give me direction, help, and a way to communicate to my comrades. I started out. Now, I didn't plan on going out for a day, no, I traveled for a long time. Always heading south, never turning to the east or west….unless I had to go around something. Little did I know I had wandered into Mongolia. The open space was different. It was green all the time as I was told by a local and that shocked me. Well, I started back up north to return to my tribe. The bird though, was in league with the wolves. They captured me and bid the bird to return and tell my tribe I had been killed I later found out. I fought hard that day, but to no prevail. They let me sit in a cell to 'cool off.' When I did, they came in and stated their proposition. What it was, I will let it by a secret. I refused. I expected a wrathful retaliation. Instead, they brought in some of their finest wine. Being a chump to any alcohol, I took it gladly. Before I knew it," he snapped his claws, "I was drunk! And drunk I was! The headache I got the day after was atrocious. Well, they told me to go kill the animal in front of me without a weapon. As I stated before, the alcohol drove demons into and I did so. With blood on my paws and my fangs, they smiled and ushered me to a tent. After that, they feed me alcohol and off I go a mindless killer. I don't do it voluntarily, comrade. I tell you this so you don't judge me as a horrible being. No, they force the bewitching liquid down my throat. After a few gulps though, I am theirs. It saddens me that it only takes alcohol to change me. There you have it, comrade Kun, my story. Not very cheery if you ask me."

Kun processed the information.

"That was an interesting story," a female voice said. Sun!

The snow fox turned to Sun.

"You liked it?"

"The way it was told, yes. The context, no. A sad tale, no doubt."

Kun spoke up this time.

"Sun, this is Aleksey Kevoch…..nik?"

Kun looked at Aleksey. Had he said the snow foxes' name right?

"You pronounce my name funny," laughed Aleksey. "It is okay. It adds humor to my life. Who doesn't like laughter and humor?"

"It's not my favorite thing," a gloomy voice said. This voice had yet another new accent to Kun and Sun. It was almost musical despite the depression that filled it.

The snow fox sigh heavily and turned to face the back of the tent.

"You the most depressed person I know, marten," Aleksey said in an irritated tone, made even more so by the foxes natural guttery voice.

"Who is that?" asked Sun.

The snow fox turned back to face the tigers.

"A beech marten from a place west of China. A place he calls _Rome_. Another odd name for you to remember, comrades."

"What is his, or her, name?" asked Sun.

"His name is….what is it again marten?"

"Timoteo. Timoteo Argento. Not that you would care to remember it."

The fox shrugged.

"I can't remember it because of the dark clouds that surround it."

"Metaphors are terrible. Speak out of riddle, please?" whined Timoteo.

The snow fox leaned in and motioned for the tigers to do likewise.

"He is always gloomy like this. Don't worry. He gets better the further along you know him. For now, he is a pain in the…..what's the word?"

"Behind," muttered Timoteo.

"Ass! That's it! He is a pain in the ass!" said Aleksey, almost jubilantly. "Marten, why don't you come out of the darkness and show yourself to our new comrades?"

Timoteo muttered under his breath how he always had to do what the snow fox told him to do but still got up and moseyed over. In the light that was so sparse in the tent, the tigers could make an out a thin, short beech marten. Its face was sallow and the eyes were somewhat deep in their sockets. Though the face seemed to mirror death, the eyes were still alive. A vibrant brown iris surrounded a pitch black pupil that betrayed the marten's gloomy outlook. The eyes spoke of a fiendishly clever mind. Besides the snow fox from the north, this beech marten – Timoteo as he called himself – was the most peculiar character they had ever met.

"What is your story?" ask Sun, softly. She needed something to take her mind off of tomorrow's pains.

Timoteo's face contorted and he wrung his paws together in a nervous fashion. He sighed and took a shallow breath.

"I'll spare you most of the story. You probably don't care about it. I am a merchant, well was a merchant. I traveled to your land, China, doing business. I sell fruits and vegetables exotic to China. In return I trade them for silks and other resources hard to come by in my country. It is a good business. I was unfortunate to be in a village when the wolves Canku and Xisong attack. I should have known, expecting the worst is a good habit. Some disagree."

Aleksey harrumphed and elbowed Kun in a playful manor.

"He means me."

The marten gave the fox a sour look and continued on.

"As I was saying, I got captured. I already knew your language as I needed it for trade. So, they took me as prisoner and when they finish their conquest, I will be set free. The first, they said, to establish the road of trade between them and us. So here I sit, waiting for that day. It bothers me what they are doing, but I wish they would either get defeated or emerge victorious so I can get back home."

When Timoteo finished, he shuffled back to his original position. The three others just thought over what he had said. Nothing as terrible as Aleksey's story though, Sun reminisced.

Aleksey waved a paw at the depressing creature.

"There you have it comrades! Our stories for your ears! Not the best, I'm sure you would agree. Ah, let us make use of what time we have now. Let's go get some sleep!"

The gruff voiced fox turned around and lay down.

"What?" asked Kun. "Like that?"

"Yes," said Aleksey. "Rest is a powerful tool of rebellion and resistance at the smallest level. Use it to your advantage."

Kun looked at Sun.

"We should take his advice," replied Sun back to Kun's unspoken question. "He knows best."

Kun nodded and lay down, his mind swirling from what he had heard today.

Canku and Xisong were finally leaving Mengyou City to continue on their bloody war. As the army streamed out of the City, slightly lessened because of the number left to help keep the city under their control, the civilians watched with grim expressions. There went their old way of life. A new ruler was to take the place of the beloved tiger family. What was to become of them in this new chapter? The rumors that went around the City told that Ru was to be the next ruler. Was he going to be as just and kind like Kun was? Or was the rhino to be completely different. The citizens feared the worst. Any follower of the murderous wolves' was sure to be a tyrant.

The last of the wolves' mighty army drained out of Mengyou City and headed south of the River Yisan. They crossed the plains that led to the mountains and proceeded to hike up them. With a force of this scale, the climb was tough. Sergeants were constantly yelling out orders to ensure nothing but order was maintained. The wolves stood at an elevated position as they watched the large mass make its way up the mountains. It was almost fascinating to watch. Kar stood by his masters, looking over his fellow soldiers with impassive eyes. He was above them now. He served as the wolves' right hand and nothing less.

"We need to move faster," growled Canku. "We should make it to Ru's camp in a day and a half. At this pace, it will be more like a week!"

"Patience," Xisong said quietly. "Patience is what will get us the final prize, not rushing headlong into a fight without knowing our prey."

Canku nodded. His mate was correct.

"Still, they need to move faster. It is critical that we make it to the camp. We are on a tight schedule."

"How so? We said that we will take at least three years to get to the Valley of Peace. Remember? We were to give the inhabitants and the Furious Five along with whatever lives there a false sense of security."

"Yes, but if we strike too late, something could happen. Timing is critical, you know this."

"As I do. I agree with you. They need to move faster."

Canku spun around to face Kar.

"You wish to have the army move faster, my Lord?" asked Kar.

Canku grinned toothily.

"Exactly."

Kar bowed low and ran off to give the instructions to the Officers.

Canku turned slowly around and paused to face Xisong.

"How long does it take for someone to go truly crazy?"

Xisong cocked her head to the side.

"What do you mean?"

"If something terrible happens and you are driven insane with grief, how long does that take you to become truly insane? As in, you have completely lost your mind."

Xisong thought about it for a moment. This was an interesting question, even from someone as _diverse_ as Canku.

"I don't really know. A year perhaps? Two years? Three years? Four? I'm not sure. It really depends on what state the mind of the victim is in, I would think."

Canku nodded.

"What if these were hardened kung fu Masters? Trained from almost the start of their life to the present."

Xisong finally got where her mate was going with his question.

"Oh, I'd say maybe at least six months minimum."

Sly grins appeared on both their faces.

"So, our bird shall leave the nest, what do you think?"

"Yes, soon. I'd say a day and half's time we send the messenger out. A certain monkey perhaps?"

Canku and Xisong went back to looking at their army move. A full two hours had past when the last of the soldiers had moved over the steep climb; even with the sped up pace. The wolves' howled out to the air and the army banged their weapons to their shields. At the beat of the clanging of metal, the army surged forward like a massive centipede – the front portion moving first with the back following shortly afterwards. Canku and Xisong followed the army at the back, relying on the bird scouts that communicated with the vanguard. The march forward to Ru's camp was seamless. As the first day fell short and the moon rose taking the Sun's position in the sky, the army settled down for the night. With the campfires roaring, the army drank all that the wolves' allowed them, told stories, gambled, and did other deeds of debauchery. It was a sinner's delight. At the back of the army though, Canku and Xisong just sat at entrance of their large tent, gazing up and down their army hearing the howls of laughter and the roars of delight. The army was in a good moral. That was good. When the army was happy, they were happy. When they were happy, the army was happy.

Canku's gaze turned to the stars. He stared at them with an uninterested look. They were nothing but pinpoints of light dotting the sky. Shadows here and there…no, there were no shadows in the sky right now. It was a cloudless night. A flutter of wings was heard next. His assassins at returned to bring him back the good news, otherwise, how could they dare return?

The contingent of raptors landed each bowing low to their leaders as they did so. They smiled when they saw that dried blood that caked their bodies. Canku even thought he smelled a mixture of innards as well. By their looks, they had been victorious. Three were missing. The prince might have been more difficult that they had imagined. Fighting for ones life does that to most animals.

"How was your assignment?" asked Canku cheerily. "Judging by your gruesome apparel, I'd say it was a success."

Quan looked around before answering, as if he had not noticed what the birds had carried along with them.

"Yes, the tiger prince, Tai, along with his two friends were killed. We lost three. The felines attacked back, much to our surprise. The smallest were their targets as we sent them in first as bait. We did not like it, but it was necessary. They died for a noble cause."

Canku snarled a bit. Quan looked up. Had they seen through his façade?

"Noble it is. What other evidence though are you going to show me that the tiger is dead… besides the blood! It could be your own!"

Quan's life flashed before his eyes. He could just imagine what the wolves' were going to do to him if he couldn't give them concrete evidence. The eagle stepped forward and placed the strip of fabric on the ground before the two.

"We cut this off of one of their clothes. You see the blood around the edges and how it is torn. This one was fleeing as we cut her down."

Canku and Xisong relaxed, though not visibly.

"Good, at least one of you has sense to bring back good evidence. You are dismissed. Your reward for not failing is your life. Go!"

The birds bowed one more time, a few chuckling at Canku's dark humor – even though it was not a joke.

Xisong leaned back and lay on the ground.

"You see now? The prince is dead. No one is able to escape and now of our plans. Tomorrow the bird shall be released from its nest and the Valley of Peace shall plunged into turmoil in a year and a half's time."

"It will be ours," agreed Canku, crushing a rock in his paws. "After that, Gongmen City and the capital will fall. A glorious new era will rise up with us at the head. The best part, we will be the rulers. You and I, together. Ruling over China with everyone doing what we say."

Xisong took a deep breath.

"You will also be a father."

Canku laughed.

"You could put it that way. A father for China."

"And your pups."

Canku's laughter died in his throat.

"Pups?"

"Yes. You remember that night? I'm would be surprised if you did not. Well, here we are, parents and conquers of China."

Canku sat up. This was unexpected for even his mate! Pups? He now had to worry about _pups_ and ruling China?

"You are as low as I could have ever thought," growled Canku playfully. "Using that to your advantage….."

"Yes, your weakness…. Good night. Remember Canku, we will still take over China with our legacy being carried on! Our family will rule, keep that in mind."

The next morning, the army was on the move as the sun started to rise to its throne in the sky. By lunch, Ru's camp was in sight. The elite in the small prison camp welcomed the numbers, for many had friends within its ranks. Canku and Xisong spent no time with introductions, but sent Ru and a few of his own guard back to Mengyou City. After bowing low and swearing his oath, Ru was heading back to Mengyou City.

"Have the tiger couple brought before us," Xisong commanded the prison guards.

The hulking boars lumbered in the tent and threw them before the wolves. Kun and Sun were forced to their knees and into a bowing position.

"I thought I would give this news to you personally, _Kun_. You too Sun. Your beloved offspring is dead. Yes, he was brutally murdered."

Kun growled. Sun stifled a sob.

"Prove it to us, vermin."

Canku bent down to face Kun. He spoke with a peaceful voice.

"Always the brave one, right? Give your wife the support she needs right now. She knows we do not lie right now. If you insist….."

The bloodied piece of cloak was laid down before Kun.

"I remember this pattern; your family had a matching set. I found two but Tai's was gone. He must have taken it and flew. Well, there is your evidence Kun! Your son is dead. Let this be a warning to you of what we are capable of."

Kun shook with raw anger. A small, evil thought slinked into his mind. He had heard it before, yet it felt sweeter than ever.

_Kill him. Let yourself feast on the flesh of this desecrator of your family. Let his screams be heard from the edges of the world and the Mandate in heaven. Let he bath in his own blood. Have your fangs and claws sink into his body…_

"No," he bit out, fighting against the white hot idea.

Canku rose his paw to strike Kun. Xisong held her mates paw back.

"He looks different, Canku. Look closely, see how he struggles with himself," she warned.

Canku lowered his arm down to his side and studied the tiger. It was contorting and relaxing. The muscles in Kun's face twitching. His claws shot out and then hid themselves again many times. The wolf watched with growing fascination as he ran his eyes down the tiger's body. Kun's body was constantly moving; the tail moving to a mysterious, frighteningly quick, tempo. Canku bent down to look at Kun's eyes. He saw the pupil's were slits. The eyes iris glowed almost. A predator's look was captured in the stare he looked upon now. Canku stepped back. Xisong was right.

"Take them back to the tent!"

The prison guards bowed and took hold of their chains. Something snapped inside of Kun. He roared and lashed out at the nearest guard. The tiger's claws buried themselves into the wolf's flesh. Kun mauled the wolf's stomach, unable to reach the vital parts of its body. The wolf screamed in pain as his flesh was ripped to pulp. Pieces of muscle tissue flung out. Yellow fat also started oozing out of the wounds in his flesh. Grey fur flew out as the tiger gave the wolf a grim haircut. The wolf danced back, vainly keeping his pink stomach and other organs from slipping out of the gash. The other guard watched with a grim look on his face. A shout from Kar sent him into action. Taking the butt of his spear, he hammered it into Kun's side. This did nothing but enrage the tiger. He paused mauling the now misshapen wolf to turn around and snap the spear in half. Taking the closest piece, the one without the actual spear blade, he took the serrated end of the spear shaft and shoved into mercilessly into this wolf's chest. The wolf howled and screamed. Vainly trying to stop the inexorable, the wolf kicked and punched the tiger. As the spear cut in, blood flowed. Canku raised a wooden club over his head and brought it down on Kun's head – effectively rendering him unconscious, but not killing him. The tiger collapsed, limp. Sun screamed. The sound made Canku twitch. It was the first sound that he had heard from her in a long time.

"Shut her up too!"

Another blow to the head silenced Kun's mate. A wolf dropped dead, its innards spilling out like grotesque confetti. The dirt below the dead wolf took on a pink and red pallor. The other wolf struggled to pull the wooden shaft out of itself. A medic was able to reach the surviving wolf and escort him to the makeshift hospital.

The onlookers stood as still as stone. Each soldier's face was frozen in a look of horror. No one had seen something such as _this_! Canku and Xisong also looked at the corpse of the unfortunate wolf. Canku felt his loathing for the tiger heighten. Xisong was just happy that thing was away from her.

"Clean it up!" ordered Xisong. "We leave soon! You will have your glory in battle before long! The rest of you who do not clean up are dismissed!"

The crowd of astonished spectators hurried away. Few stayed to clean up the mess. As they carted the torn up carcass, Xisong mused over what she had just seen. Canku seemed distressed and they retired to their tent.

_I will have to think on this later_, she promised herself. Her paws met together in a single clap. Kar appeared by her side.

"You require my assistance?" Kar replied, bowing.

"Call a trusted monkey, tell her to go to the Valley of Peace and tell the bird to leave its nest."

"Why a monkey, ma'am? A bird would fly much faster."

"I know, but at the same time, that will not give us the time we need. Six months is enough for the villagers to remember the death and for the Five along with Po to have danced with madness."

Kar smiled maliciously.

"You are wise. I will call one at once."

Kar bowed once more and left to get the messenger for the Valley job. The monkey was soon on her way, carrying few items with her, but all vital for her mission.


	11. An Impossible Friend

Tai hunched his back and stared at the white ground as a blast of wind and snow slammed into him. The rope around his waist gained slack as Shang stopped in his tracks. Tai stopped also. He felt Mei bump into him.

"You know, you could pay just a little bit of attention to what's happening," he suggested sarcastically, barely able to get his voice above the howl of the wind.

"What?" Mei called back.

Tai shook his shaggy head. Instead he tapped Shang on the shoulder.

"Why did you stop?"

Shang's ear swiveled in the direction of Tai's voice.

"I'm thinking," he yelled back, trying as well to surmount the shrieking wind with his voice. Tai nodded, though Shang could barely see the small gesture in the storm that surrounded them.

The three felines had got up early not four days ago to start their journey again to the Valley of Peace. They had been joyful and played like kittens almost during the trek forward. Sadly, that had only lasted for two days. It was on the night of the second the three were rudely awakened by nature. They were all thankful for their fur coats at instant, for the bitter cold attacked them like no other enemy had before. Unable to build even the smallest blaze, they huddled together tightly. The storm prolonged for the rest of the time. It seemed to follow them, daring them to challenge its might; and challenge they did. Doggedly, they trudged across the snow covered land and its peaks that jutted into the sky. Even with their outward determination, they could feel the storm blow away their hope. Soon, they walked in silence for the most part, every bit of playfulness gone – even for Mei.

_So here we are,_ thought Tai. _We have been wandering out here in a straight line, thank the ancestors for that, but going nowhere. We need a guide! The maps have no use right now; the blizzard stops us from looking at it. What are we going to do?_

Shang's voice cut like a razor through his thoughts.

"Let's go other there, by that little crack. We can shelter ourselves for a bit."

The rope pulled around Tai's waist as Shang quickened his pace toward the thin entrance. The snow stopped assaulting them as the cave's strong stone walls gave refuge to them. Tai brushed the snow off his body. Shang and Mei did likewise. They huddled together, trying to retrieve what body heat they had left. Having the wind not pounding on them warmed them slightly. Mei shivered and Shang put his arms around her. Tai couldn't tell if Mei did that on purpose or she really meant it. He put it aside and focused on the ground in front of him instead. He studied the cold floor out of sheer boredom. Nothing was interesting.

"What are we going to do?" asked Tai as Shang started a small fire.

Shang shrugged.

"I say we rest here."

Tai agreed. He was tired from fighting the blizzard that raged outside and the fire warmed them.

"How long do these things keep up for?" asked Shang.

"I don't know," replied Tai.

"They can last for a whole week sometimes. The largest ones last even longer," said Mei, looking up. "My family was caught in one at a point in our travels. It was tough but nothing like this. I haven't seen something like this. It's like the mountains hate us."

"They probably do," Shang said, humoring Mei.

Tai shoved the bag that was still on his back on the ground and opened it up.

"Music anyone?"

Mei nodded.

"I don't know a lot, but I'll do the best I can."

Tai brought the pipe to his lips and started playing a soothing tune. The music wafted up and struck the eardrums of all the felines. Just the music alone helped them to forget where they were. Even the Earth seemed to lean in to catch a stray note from the pipe playing. Tai's fingers moved up and down the pipe with ease. On the inside though, he was praying that he didn't mess up. Already he could feel him beginning to waver. The pipe wailed out a bad note. Tai shuddered at the wrong sound that rang about the cave. He took another breath and went back over the section he missed. A sudden peaceful feeling came over him. His finger's flew by themselves and he finished the piece with such precision even a master would be envious.

_We are watching over you in both big and small._

Tai smiled and bowed his head in thanks to the invisible helpers. Even such kind acts like this brought him closer to them.

"You did wonderful, especially the last part," said Mei, clapping her paws together. She giggle and poked Shang in the ribs. "Why don't you play a song for us?"

Shang shook his head.

"Nope, the only instrument I play is nothing. Ever heard of it? It sounds like this."

Shang then proceeded to do nothing. Mei's giggle turned into a laugh.

"Your loss for not trying, dear. I started to learn to play that exact instrument but lost interest. When I did play, I thought it was wonderful. Now, I can just do a few notes."

Mei sighed and got a dreamy look in her eyes as she remembered the past. Her eyes began to water though.

"My mother taught me…"

Compassion filled Shang and he brought her close to comfort her.

"I'm sure she is looking down on you and smiling. She wants you to remember music for joy."

Shang looked up at Tai to see if what he said seemed good. Tai shrugged. He had no experience in this area of life. He felt the pipe in his paws.

"Oh," he gasped, realizing that the pipe now brought painful memories to Mei. He took the pipe and put it away in the bag.

Mei sat there leaning against Shang, motionless. The cave took on an awkward air.

"Let's head to bed," suggested Tai after the minutes of silence wore on.

Mei looked up.

"Yeah. I'm tired too."

"Who will keep first watch?" asked Shang. "I will if you guys don't want to."

Tai looked out the entrance of the cave back at the snow streaking across his line of sight.

"I don't think we will have any fear of being attacked while we sleep in this weather."

Shang furrowed his brow, weighing the odds of an assailant coming for them.

"I guess your right," he said slowly. "But anything other than this and we will have watches, I don't trust anybody right now other than you and Mei. Who knows what they could be or what they are capable of."

"I know," said Tai. The tiger lay down on the stone. "Now go to bed."

Sleep came to them like a soft cloud, although the cloud was a bit cold. Three shooting stars shot along in the night sky. Tonight they were in danger from nothing.

* * *

><p>A forest surrounded Tai. He bolted upright. Where were the cave and the snow and the fire? Where were his friends? He started calling out their names. No answer was returned.<p>

_Come to think of it, there are _no _sounds. The phrase, 'the silence deafens' definitely applies here, _the tiger thought.

Tai turned in a slow circle taking in his new surroundings. The trees were the most prominent thing around him. Each one was tall and healthy. Different species of trees were scattered about the forest with no particular order. Some he had never seen before. The leaves were a rainbow of colors. Greens, violets, reds, browns, oranges dominated the top foliage. The grass turned his attention to the ground. The fresh grass was none other than perfect. Each blade was different and unique, but a sense of perfection still radiated from each blade. The blanket of green went on and on, same with the trees. Tai cautioned a step forward. Nothing happened. Just the sound of his foot paws stepping on the grass. He moved forward with more confidence. The tiger felt a sudden impulse to sprint forward. He let it overtake him and he shot across the lands, letting instinct direct him. Every sense was heightened and he felt alive. A tree stood in his way.

_Let's climb it_.

He did so with ease he had never felt before. He was a blur and within seconds he sat at the tip of that sturdy tree looking over the land. A large mountain stood off to his left. It was a curious mountain, for it was the only one of that sheer size. It towered into the white fluffy clouds and its summit was hidden from view. He saw a break in the trees that stretched out. The trees continued after that. A river filled the gap. Finally, the vast forest ended and up shot mountains, though not as tall as the middle one. A red looking glow could be seen past it. What was there he didn't know. He turned to his right and saw more forest and more rivers that connected to an immense ocean but he thought he could make out land on the other side. Was that possible?

A rustle in the trees took hold of Tai's full attention. Suddenly a long body shot out of a slight gap in the trees. Its body was long and powerful, like a serpent. It had a ferocious looking face, yet its eyes were tinged with mischievousness and what seemed to be sadness. The body continued on for a long time. The end of it finally revealed itself to the sky and Tai gasped. What was in front of him in the sky was _impossible_. It was a dragon!

Tai stuttered. All he could think of to do was to bow. The dragon twirled in the air and suddenly whirled down to where Tai was. Landing softy next to Tai, its immense head was the size of his body. The dragon opened its mouth to speak in a baritone voice. The voice was calm and soft. It had an edge of cold logic, yet still felt like warm water rushing over him.

"How do you like my forest, Tai?" asked the dragon.

Tai was taken aback.

"You know my name?" he asked, bewildered.

"Do you know mine?" the dragon returned the question back. "I hope you do. I've written lots of books in your world."

Tai pondered the dragon's question, fearing the wrong answer would bring its wrath upon him. He leaned back in the trees thick leaves.

"I'm sorry, sir, I'm afraid I don't. None of the names that I can think of fit you."

"Guess then. Trial and error are a powerful part of learning you know. I have learned that from exactly that!" The dragon chuckled. "Can you still not remember?"

Tai shook his head.

"I am called Senlin-Mu. Do you know remember me?"

Tai nodded vigorously this time.

"I do. You are one of the High Dragons – one of the Five that reside around the Jade Palace of Heaven. I remember reading it in a text once. I didn't know that you actually were living!"

The dragon nodded its massive head.

"Sadly, many forget that we reside up here. Most only give their thanks to their ancestors. I have no qualms of that, I do wish that they knew to whom the ancestors were giving their pleas to. Us."

"My ancestors are your messangers?" Tai asked, astounded.

"Yes," replied the dragon. "I am busy sometimes, so I have a hard time listening and storing _all_ the prayers that are sent up."

The dragon stared up at the brilliant blue sky. Clouds speckled the blue with white.

"You are not here for a lesson in the Heavens, as I do remember. No, you are here for my help."

"You are going to help me?"

"Did I not just say that?"

Tai blushed.

"You did."

"Good, then I won't have to repeat myself. As I was saying, I am here to give you help."

The dragon's eyelid dropped halfway and he puffed a ring of smoke from his nostrils.

"It seems I did repeat myself, but that is no matter. Tai, I have taken notice of you. You are interesting enough. Even your physical appearance piques my curiosity. You crooked tail, the off-beat stripes are just to name a few. Your mind is also interesting. You like to tinker with ideas. I like to tinker. That is why there are so many different trees down below. I made many myself."

"You _made_ the trees?" Tai was still shocked at this meeting.

Senlin-Mu smiled. "Yes. A story for later."

Tai looked back at the treetops and wondered how one might accomplish this. Senlin-Mu continued.

"I spoke with the Jade Emperor and he said that I can help you just a bit. We don't want something wrong to happen. So here you are."

The dragon pulled out a map and laid it on the greenery.

"You, Shang, and Mei are right here. You need to get here."

Senlin-Mu pointed to the two locations he noted.

"A Shaoshang of the Ancient temple carved from the rocks is here. Go there."

Tai cut in,

"_Shaoshang?_ Doesn't that mean _burn_? So, the entire thing is the Burn of the Ancient? That seems a bit ominous."

The dragon chuckled.

"You will learn what it means… Now, as I was saying, I will send a guide there for you. You will meet the creature in the temple. They will help you on your journey. Also, I have two surprises on the journey for you. One you will see soon, the other will take some time. I think you will enjoy them both! My time with you is up, Tai, the Jade Emperor only allows me thus. I fare you well on the roads ahead of you. One last thing, before I do go, mention me to no one."

With those final words, the Heavens dissolved into a grey mist and Tai floated among the clouds. The mist surrounded him and he started to feel drowsy. He felt his body softly hit the stone floor. Over to his side, he could hear Shang muttering in his sleep. Mei shifted her position to get more comfortable.

_We are here, _the voice of one of his ancestors rung through his head. _Rest._

Tai fell into a deep sleep and slept like he had never rested before.

* * *

><p>The sun light glistened and forced itself into the cave the three felines were sleeping in. Tai blinked. Couldn't the sun wait for another hour? He rolled over and moaned. He didn't want to wake up. Mei suddenly landed on Tai.<p>

"The sun is out!" she squealed girlishly. "Outside is just so beautiful. Get up! We can actually move now."

Tai sat up slowly. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. The sky was blue and the grey clouds that poured forth the snow had retreated to other regions. The sunlight sparkled off the fresh snow and gave everything a bright look. Even the dull rocks seemed cheery. Tai grabbed his sack and ran outside. The mountains were, again, beautiful. Shang tossed him an apple.

"A light breakfast and then we go. This time we will know where we are going."

The apple was sweet and crisp thanks to the cold that had preserved its flavor. Mei floundered in the snow, clearly exuberant. Shang searched the path ahead of them.

"You finished?" asked Shang to Tai.

The apple core hit the snow in front of Tai as he chewed the last bit.

"Yep. Let's go. Do you think the rope will be necessary?"

"Nope," said Mei, butting into the conversation. She kissed Shang quickly and bounded off in the eastern direction.

"What was that about?" asked Tai.

Shang shrugged.

"I liked it and I don't really care."

"Of course."

With a new spring in their step and the vigor for the quest back in their hearts, they marched forward. The snow crunched beneath their feet and the air had a slight chill. The sun shone brightly and gave a bit of warmth. To their right, about ten feet off, the cliff suddenly dropped to the gully below. The mountain continued upward on their left. Tai enjoyed the sights; it gave him a sense of adventure he had never felt before. All around him, a new, alien world opened up. Up above, Mei rushed around in the snow. He heard Shang sigh wistfully.

"Isn't she beautiful?"

Tai looked back at Mei. He looked the female clouded leopard up and down.

"Yes, you are lucky, Shang," he replied with no hint of envy. "I hope you two go far."

Shang nodded. Mei's shout brought the two males attention to the front. She was waving a paw frantically at them. They looked at each other and broke off in a sprint. As they skidded to a halt, Mei pointed in a certain direction and both looked hard.

"What are we looking at?" said Shang after a while, worrying about what danger she could have seen.

"Just look," said Mei, not giving any help.

They stared longer. Mei threw up her paws.

"Look at the mountains! Aren't they just incredible? All I'm showing you two is the view. _A perfect_ place for a scenic painting. Or, maybe a picnic for a day."

Shang relaxed and just shook his head. Tai on the other paw took into consideration what Mei said and took in the entire thing. The mountain vista was gorgeous. A surreal effect seemed to rest on it. The outline of the white peaks of the Zuzhou along with the splashes of grey and green from the rock and evergreens seemed to leap out to Tai.

"It is magnificent," he breathed.

Shang looked at Tai quizzically.

"Do that again!"

"What?"

"Breathe again, I just noticed that."

"What?" Tai repeated, slightly annoyed.

"Look at your breath; it comes out like a mist."

Tai did so and he too saw the vapor that came from his mouth. He laughed.

"I can breathe fire you now. That is not mist, its smoke!"

"Dragon's aren't real," stated Shang flatly. "And if they did, I'm sure you couldn't be one. You're a tiger, right?"

Tai bit his tongue as he was about to say that they did exist and he had seen one. Senlin-Mu wouldn't be pleased if he went against him blatantly.

"I am a tiger."

"Good, you had me worried," Shang said, chuckling. He winked at Tai. "The idea of dragons are cool though, don't worry."

Mei coughed.

"Since we are finished with the myths and truths about life, can we go now?"

Mei didn't wait for an answer. Instead she walked off, swishing her tail in the air.

The three felines walked at a steady pace throughout the day. They stopped once for a light luncheon and then restarted their hike. As night fell, Mei kept closer to Shang, her energy wearing thin. Even as the sun collapsed behind the tall peaks of Zuzhou, they persevered on. A brisk wind cut into their bodies and dropped the outside temperature. Shivering now, they still moved on. Finally, Mei called out to stop. Panting in the thin air, they wearily moved over to the far right and pressed up against the rocky wall. Shang moved up and down the wall, in search for a crevice that they could retire for the night. His search was fruitless.

"We have to keep on moving," he said dismally.

With groans of despair and the sound of bags hitting backs, they trudged on. The wind fought back, even bringing up the snow on the ground into their faces. Nothing like the previous storm rocked the cliffs tonight, but it was still enough to cause danger of wandering off the wrong direction. Out came the rope again, securing the three together. An hour passed by and still no sign of asylum. Mei and Tai were winded and Shang was faring no better, even though he had been trained in the military for endurance. A dark profile, larger than all three of them stacked on top of each other suddenly appeared. As they got closer, they noted that it had been sculpted to represent something. The closer and closer they got, the more immense it became. A dragon sculpture! At well over thirty feet high, the sculpture sat in an eternal snarl. It's mouth gaping open, catching snow within. Its claws positioned in an attack stance and its eyes ever watching. An exact replica could be made out fifty feet away. In between these colossal statues, steps filled the blank. The shallow incline made the climb very easy to the buildings entrance. An overhang stood loomed above them with pillars reaching the tips to support the weight. Each pillar had writing carved in it. Characters filled almost every square inch of the stone pillars. Tai couldn't make out what they meant, but he could recognize a few words. A long, smooth wall with jade symbols embedded within the stone was past the pillars only five feet in. Double doors made of a toughened wood were the only entry into the foreboding structure. Engraved on the doors were only three symbols. One split between the two, with the other two on each door – one character for one, the other for the other.

"It's shelter. I don't care what it is, we are going to have to use it if we want to stay warm," said Shang in a brusque tone. "C'mon."

As they made their way to the doors, Tai could make out the characters. What they read sent a shiver down his spine: Shaoshang of the Ancient Temple. The doors swung open without a sound. Were there animals still living here and did they oil the doors? They stepped into a large room. A single doorframe stood off to the right at the very end of it. The walls had a reflective sense to them, even in the dark. Again, all along the walls were yet more symbols. A story seemed to be told in those walls. Mei picked up a torch from a holder with shaky hands. She handed it to Shang.

"Get the tinder and flint," Shang said, motioning to his own bag. Tai rummaged around in the bag until he found it.

"Got it."

Shang grasped the materials and struck them together. Sparks flew and the age old torch flared up but died just as soon. Shang did so again. This time the torch held the blaze. Putting the tinder and flint in his pockets, he held it forth.

"Light the others!" said Mei. "Give us more light."

Before Shang could, a delectable scent filled the air. Someone was cooking.

"Latter," Shang whispered.

Tai looked around the room again. A slight orange glare seemed to peep out from the doorframe on the far right. Shang took a slight step forward. No sound came from the falling foot. Another step was taken. Still no sound came out of the smooth stone. Inching forward, they made their way across the far right wall. Tai couldn't help be read the writing in the wall. Tales of the antediluvian past filled his mind. Savage beasts roamed the land in search of food – food that could put an end to their ravaging hunger. Other stories of how the primitive way of life stopped yet haunted those newly civilized people. A name caught his attention: _Li_. Out of all the names listed in the walls, why did this one stand out? Pushing it to the back of his mind, Tai continued following Shang. It seemed an eternity, but they reached the back door. Shang flattened against the wall and motioned for the others to do the same. Taking a deep breath Shang dove into the hallway, claws bared, knife at the ready. A corridor greeted him. He sensed Tai and Mei standing behind him. Tai gulped.

"Someone lit the torches."

No answer came from the Golden cat or the clouded leopard. They just stood their, wondering what awaited them at the end.

"I guess forward is the only direction now, we can't sleep were there is an enemy," Mei said quietly. She pulled out a knife. It was the ivory one. Shang looked at it. Mei noticed,

"This knife will see dark times ahead of it, I am sad to say. I lost my other blade in the river."

Shang nodded yet Tai shook his head slowly. Such sorrow to see a knife with such beauty be used for violence.

"Don't want to have to say this, Tai, 'cause I know you hate fighting and killing, but if there is fight, I don't want you defenseless. Ready your bow, okay?"

Tai grimaced yet did as he was told. He nocked at arrow.

"I'm ready," he said with a confidence he didn't have.

Shang broke off in a brisk jog. It unnerved them that the stone still didn't make any sound, not even the patter of their feet striking the surface. Shang pulled another knife out with his left paw. Mei tightened her grip on the ivory knife; Tai also saw how her stance of running changed along with her muscles. Her kung fu training was taking hold. Tai regretted that he hadn't been able to learn the martial art. Instead, he moved his fingers nervously to release some of the anxiety. They passed numbers of wooden doors and tried each. Each one swung open soundlessly and the rooms showed no signs of life. A bright glow could be seen. It was different from the torch light. A smell seemed to drift from that room too. Some animal was cooking. How many were in the room? Were they bandits? Were they the monks who might live in this temple? They came to a standstill.

"On three," Shang whispered. He held up a paw. One claw went up. They shifted into their ready positions. The second claw came up. Mei took a deep breath in and let it out. She felt calmer now. Shang narrowed his eyes; he could feel his heart thundering in his chest. Tai's mind was blank. He didn't want to kill. He had never taken a life and he never wanted to.

_Give me courage_, he prayed silently.

The third claw came up and they sprung into the room. An odd sight greeted them. A large, black cauldron rested above a fire. A porcupine, shorter than any of them, stood on a stool, throwing in something. The porcupine raised its head and straightened its posture. It raised a knife and turned slowly. The felines tensed. In a reedy voice, it spoke,

"Ah, I have been waiting for you!"


	12. Say your last words

A/N: Hello! It appears I have forgotten one rather important aspect of my Fanfic, giving credit for the world of Kung Fu Panda. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, please give it up for the creators at DreamWorks Animation SKG! I am not affiliated at all with them nor do I own Kung Fu Panda. I am merely a random person with an idea and a computer and a story to tell. I'm sure you are wondering when they will be introduced into my fanfic, well look no further because they are here in this chapter. Thanks for reading.

* * *

><p>Aleksey had never laughed so hard in his life. The snow fox rolled on the floor, tears streaming down. A flabbergasted tiger and his wife just stared at him. The gloomy Timoteo had his back to the scene, muttering unintelligible phrases about Rome. Kun's face was full of shame and he had a pounding headache.<p>

"Why do you laugh so?" he asked weakly. Anything above a whisper hurt Kun's head, so he tried desperately to keep the noise level down.

"Because," wheezed Aleksey between fits of laughter, "it just tickles my funny bone. Don't ask why. But oh…..oh how I would have loved to see those murderous wolves' faces! It sure as hell gave them a shock!"

Aleksey suddenly went from joyous to cold as stone.

"It serves 'em right. Comrade, I don't know why you feel shame. These animals are bastards!"

"They are misguided," Kun shot back. "I am shamed, _fox_, because I lost control. Have you ever heard of the stories of our first ancestors?"

"You mean the Drevnii, the first ones of our kind?"

"If that is what you call them, yes."

"Bah, it's rubbish. I did hear about your people's idea of dragons and stuff like that, I don't believe it. My ancestors were like we are today. Well, they are different in one way."

"That they were wild, uncivilized."

"No. They are dead, we aren't!"

Aleksey cackled.

"You gave them a serving of righteous anger, comrade. You should be proud. Small rebellions can bring down even the mightiest empires."

Kun gave up on explaining to Aleksey his troubles. Few people knew about it and those who did were under penalty of death if word leaked out. Kun feared with his own life that his son too would have is troubles – or curse. No, Tai was dead.

As the snow fox came back to normal, Kun sidled up as close as he could to Sun.

"I should have spent more time with him," said Kun.

Sun looked up sharply.

"Who, the fox?"

"No, Tai. I look back on the past and realize how many times I missed him. How I miss him, Sun. To think that I will never see him again until the Heavens pains me greatly."

Sun's face softened. Kun was confused at times and now was a time he needed the most help.

"I know, yet Tai was a fine tiger. He loved peace and wanted knowledge. I think he was our greatest success. Our son pleases the dragons, no doubt. In the Heavens, I'm sure he is showered with gifts. Do not quicken your time, then you leave me to suffer in this world."

Kun looked up.

"Leave you? I would never."

A rustle of chains was heard. Kun turned his head to look at the Northern snow fox. In his eyes he saw grief.

"I know this is personal, but can you tell me of your son?"

Kun sighed.

"Why do you ask this, Aleksey?"

"You share much devotion over this and you act as if he is dead."

"He is though."

Aleksey looked down.

"Forgive me, comrade. I should have known there was more to your sorrow than what you told me."

Silence followed the gruff foxes' voice. Suddenly, Aleksey snapped his claws.

"Do you play chess?"

Kun stifled the memories that rushed to his surface. They broke free. All Kun could see was a young Tai holding up his first chess board and asking how to play.

"I do, but I am not good at it. My son, Tai was good."

"In my tribe, we honored our dead by doing what he or she would have enjoyed. If you truly think that your son is in the Heavens with the dragons, then what joy would it bring him to see his father playing the hobby he liked."

Kun could almost see the smile on Tai's face as he first beat Kun in a match of chess. The jubilation on the young tigers face would forever stand in his mind.

Aleksey went back to the place he slept and pulled a square piece of wood with a checkered pattern on it. He pulled out thirty-two pieces from another place. Kun stared at the odd set up before him.

"I thought you said that you were going to play chess."

"You have not seen this before?"

"No, I have not."

"I guess games can have the same names and two different meanings. Let me show you how this version of chess is played."

Across the span of an hour Aleksey showed Kun how to play this new game. Kun was a slower learner, but relished the challenge. Soon, Kun knew where each piece went and what the rules were.

"I am ready," he said to Aleksey, challenging him to a duel.

"As you wish, Lord Kun," Aleksey said with his teeth showing in a wide grin.

Sun watched form the sidelines, thinking of her son looking down on them with a smile. _How Tai would have loved this_, she thought.

* * *

><p>The wolves' army had got up from the night and continued to move on. The sound of drums sounding out the beat harmonized with the thrum of the boots. The red standards were raised on pikes and the army moved like an invincible force. The birds flew above like a dark omen. Nature seemed to shrink away in fear from the army. A cry went up from the scouts and it traveled back to Canku and Xisong.<p>

"Sir," said Kar, "a large town has been spotted. The people live within houses in the rocks. They do have an advantage. Also they have watch animals upon the cliffs."

Canku waved a paw dismissively.

"Send a company of soldiers and archers to rid us of the threat. Go!"

The snow leopard bowed and left.

"Are you sure that is such a good idea? Again, you rush into battle," admonished Xisong. "Take time before you attack. Let your enemy not know who you are but you will now everything about them."

Canku huffed.

"What can a group of mountain dwellers do against a company of our army? They will fall like leaves in the fall."

Xisong looked forward.

"When they come back with their tails between their legs, what are you going to do then?"

"If those cannot defeat the town, they deserve to die. If they do though, we will leave nothing of the town in our wake."

The sun traveled in its path until it reached past its zenith. A group of tattered, black ragged soldiers came stumbling back. A halt was called up. They made their way to the back and bowed low before Canku and Xisong.

"Please don't tell me you lost," he hissed venomously. Xisong growled slightly.

The captain gulped loudly.

"They caught us in the open, milord. Arrows rained from above like death from Heaven! We threw up our shields to stop the attack. A charge was led by the townsfolk. We expected little skill from these people. They cut us down like wheat! I called a retreat to save us and report back to you."

Canku walked menacingly forward. The captain cowered before the enraged wolf. Canku kicked the captain. As he fell to the ground Canku looked upward at the rest of the survivors.

"I am feeling generous today. I understand why you ran – self preservation. The want to live is such a powerful thing. I want you to forget it. Fight to your last. Let your enemies run in fear of your name. Since you failed so miserably, I am putting you on leave of my army; go help the cooks! Get out of my sight before I change my mind!"

They fled back into the ranks of the army as it started back on its march forward.

"Don't say that damn phrase that I know you are going to say," said Canku, defeated.

"What? Oh, you mean _I told you so_?" teased Xisong. "You have to learn that, my dear."

"Fine. I will. Tonight we attack again. They know not of our numbers. We shall even let the Northern fox join in the battle. I want the town obliterated."

"Better. But, we can do more."

Canku turned to his mate, confused.

"How so?"

"They rule from the ground. Let us use the birds first. With their attention on the sky, we send in the rest of the troops. You should join the battle also. I would, but as you know, I have our pups. You can unleash your own vengeance on them. Besides, you need the exercise."

Canku nodded, smiling murderously, impatient for the slaughter to begin.

"Kar," he snapped.

The snow leopard appeared next to him and bowed.

"Yes, sir?"

"Tell the troops we attack at night. I don't want anything left of the town. The birds shall attack them first from the sky. After they are occupied with the aviators, we shall surprise them from both below and above. No prisoners, no survivors. All of them killed. I want their blood to flow like water. Oh, and the Northern fox shall join the fight."

Kar bowed low again, his icy eyes unchanging, his expression the same even as Canku gave orders for the massacre.

"The troops will do as you command, sir."

"As they should."

"A question, sir."

Canku said nothing and Kar continued.

"Shall we resume the march? We are close to the town. I think it would be best for us to stay put."

"We shall stay here," commanded Xisong. She shot Canku a glare. "It would be best not to warn the enemy."

As Kar left, the wolves' had their tent arranged. An indefinite halt was called out to the army. Audible sounds of relief could be heard as tents began to pop up. Sitting in the wooden chairs outside their pavilion, Canku looked at Xisong. It troubled him that Xisong had backed away from a fight. When had she ever done that?

"Why did you back away from a fight?" he said, waving his paws wildly in the air. "My mate never backs from a fight. We fight together and together we win, if I remember correctly you telling me those exact words."

Xisong rubbed her stomach.

"I care for our children more than a battle right now. Do not worry. I am not going soft; I still long for the thrill of battle and the feeling of driving steel through your opponent."

Canku didn't relax.

"You say you care for our pups, yet you okay the slaughter of however many wet-behind-the-ears babes are in that damn town!"

"Are they ours? No? Then there is your answer. I protect my family. Even someone like you should know that."

"I guess," he huffed. "Let the night fall already, I am hungry for battle."

"It shall come."

* * *

><p>Aleksey sat at the back of the tent, resting. He wished to get Kun and Sun out to freedom. They were his comrades now and he had a connection with them. Both had a feeling of loss. He rolled over; his heavy body making the cot bow in the middle a little. He detected no light coming in between the seams, it must be nightfall. He heard a howl break the monotonous drone of the camp. The hiss of fires went out. A guard burst in followed by another.<p>

"You, fox. C'mere!"

_Not again!_ Aleksey dreaded. They were going to use him as a weapon - again.

Aleksey bared his teeth. Kun had risen to watch the spectacle. The look in Kun's eyes told the snow fox he knew exactly what was happening. A curse could be heard far off. Something about the tent falling on a foot paw. The guards advanced, keeping their weapons aimed at Aleksey's chest.

"Time for a drink, fox!"

The gorilla guard lunged forward and grasped Aleksey's arms. The hulking ape pinned them against his back. He fought back. Twisting his head, he bit the gorilla. The gorilla instinctively pulled back. The other guard took the opportunity of Aleksey's distraction to grab his snout. Struggling against the bit that was being forced on him, Aleksey kicked with his feet. Ignoring the fox's weak attempts against the brute strength of the gorilla, they pinned him down and drug him out of the tent, Kun's eyes still boring into the back of Aleksey. Pulling along the squirming fox was no easy task, but these two had done it for sometime before. Upon arriving to a brown tent, they brought the immobilized fox in and placed him roughly on a wooden table. Strapping him down using thick strips of twine, the two brought a tube and ran it into Aleksey's mouth. The fox started breathing heavily through his nose. This was just another game they played. A bottle of strong alcohol was connected to the tube. The other guard, a leopard, plugged Aleksey's nose to force him to drink the potent liquid. As the clear alcohol poured into Aleksey's mouth, he tried to spit it back out to breathe, but still it came. He held in the precious oxygen still within his lungs, but the stored amount ran out soon. As much as he hated it, he had to breathe. He took massive swigs of the alcohol that already filled his mouth. As the torrent of intoxicating fluid ran down his throat, he took quick gasps of air in between. Already, he could feel his mind getting fuzzy. He fought against it.

_Perhaps this is what comrade Kun was talking about. Loosing a war against yourself…_

His ability to think straight was lost soon. The leopard guard undid his ties and the now drunk snow fox got up.

"Howsh it going, comradesh?" he staggered about. The leopard handed Aleksey two knives.

"We are going to battle," he said in a commanding tone. "Kill all who oppose us."

Aleksey threw up a salute,

"Will do, shpotted one!"

The horn blew and the army moved out, Aleksey in their midst, the prisoners at the back guarded by a group of twenty boars and pigs guarding them. Canku lead up in front, he licked his chops. Battle was glorious, he concluded. You prove whether you are a coward or a true warrior.

A bird shrieked and dive bombed the unsuspecting townsfolk below. Shouts of surprise and scream of pain ricocheted off the stone walls, giving the sound an unnatural echo. A minute passed. A wolf scout howled. Canku and others roared, howled, or yelled out their response and charged. Up above, more soldiers commanded by Kar attacked from above on the unsuspecting townsfolk. The militia of the mountain town was better than they expected, yet the superior strength and might of the wolves' Army in Black could be seen as the bloodthirsty killers massacred with ease. Canku was a terror, committing the most ghastly kills. A knife to the stomach was good enough to incapacitate and later end their life, but Canku wanted to hear the scream of anguish. He pushed upward, the knife cutting through innards like a hot knife. He stopped right before he hit the heart and pulled it out in search of his next victim. Using a powerful kick to the knee, he broke the pig's leg. The pig collapsed tears of pain and squeals of terror escaping its mouth.

"Shut up," Canku muttered, and snapped its neck.

A rhino charged him.

"Finally, a challenge."

The rhino moved with such speed, Canku had to think faster than before. Yet the rhino was also moving so fast that he couldn't change directions fast. Canku merely side stepped out of the way, running a sword through a goose's side for good measure. As the enraged rhino bulled past him, Canku did an almost graceful twirl and let the rhino's momentum to the swords cutting. A deep, narrow gash seeping out red blood was stark against its grey skin. The rhino took a different approach this time. He shuffled forward and pulled out a massive broadsword. He took a swing at the evasive wolf. It missed.

"Still so slow?" taunted Canku. The rhino just snorted and got back into an on guard position. Again the rhino swung at Canku. The wolf smoothly bent back, avoiding the hungry edge of the blade. As the rhino recovered from the blow, Canku saw the opportunity to run the rhino through. He sprinted forward and bounded up. The rhino's eyes burned with hatred. Suddenly, the massive beast dropped the broadsword and pulled out a knife. Like a blur, the knife left the rhino's hand and flew at Canku. Just in time, Canku deflected the whirling blade. The simple maneuvered knocked him off of his balance though and as he landed, he wavered. The rhino took this his advantage and crush the wolf. As the rhino raised his fists to smash Canku's windpipe, a blade blossomed out of his eye. The heavy corpse toppled over. A staggering white fox tumbled onto the ground next to Canku. It was a drunken Aleksey, still under the effects of the alcohol.

"Good day, comrade! And good fight!" the intoxicated fox roared, his voice hoarse.

"I agree fully," said Canku, snarling good naturedly. If the fox wasn't against him, maybe he could be a general.

The fox stumbled off, still displaying his sword like a dervish.

The ambush on the town lasted for a prolonged, heart wrenching half an hour. Within that time span though, the only thing surviving in the town were the wolves' soldiers. Blood painted the walls and floor, still wet. Corpses littered the streets. Some leaned against the wall, arrows protruding from their body. Other corpses had had their eyes scratched out by the birds and were left to battle blind. An appendage could be seen here and there, the bone sticking out and the red muscle tissue visible. A stench began to fill the air. Canku grinned with twisted satisfaction. This was the time for the wolves' to show who they really were. The whole of China was to falter before them, the Imperial government would tremble at their name, the Emperor was the bow before them.

"We move on, gentlemen," he called out to the masses. The guards left behind to watch the prisoners appeared at the rear with Xisong. "China is ours and we shall live off the cream of the land. Shall we move on?"

The whole of the army bellowed out as one, "YES!"

Canku raised his sword above his head.

"Then lead on!"

Sergeants bawled out commands to for into ranks. The army formed into their battalions, companies, and squads with precise execution. Canku turned to the snow leopard, Kar, which had moved beside him.

"Burn the town, nothing but ashes shall remain."

Kar bowed low to Canku.

"And the ashes shall blow away and be forgotten, my Lord."

Xisong moved up next to Canku.

"The Northern fox is back into containment with Kun and Sun. Did you enjoy the battle?"

"More than you could have imagined," said Canku, moving slowly behind Xisong. He moved his paws to wrap around her waist and he nipped at her ears playfully. "I missed you though."

Xisong growled deep in her throat. The couple watched as the army marched before them to continue their dastardly wishes. A figure suddenly stood beside them, panting hard. It was one of their foreign soldiers, a 'cheetah' as he called his species.

"What is it? Why didn't you go through your superior commanders?" asked Canku menacingly, annoyed that this creature were to break him away from his mate.

The cheetah held up a short paw and bowed. Struggling to catch its breath, it was barely able to wheeze out words that made Canku and Xisong's fur stand up with excitement.

"The monkey…has sent…a letter…the bird has..."

"Yes?" encouraged Xisong.

"…left the nest," finished the cheetah.

Canku turned to the direction he knew the Valley of Peace was.

"Say your last words," he whispered to those who inhabited the Valley. Turning away from the breathless cheetah, he went back to his mate. The army was still marching forward past them.

"We will march for an hour. Then we will rest. After that, we continue."

"Yes," cooed Xisong. "But don't forget the pups that you will be fathering."

Canku made a sour face.

"I won't."

Xisong faced Canku, a challenging look in her eye.

"You will do the best you can for your pups. If you don't, it won't be the pups that will be biting at your throat."

Canku took his mate's threat serious. She truly did care for her children – cruel and kind at the same time, such a wonderful personality his mate had.

* * *

><p>The monkey hopped over to the postal station. In one hand, two scroll cases were grasped by her fingers; in the other hand, a silver coin was warmed against her palm. Placing the scroll cases on the clerks counter, she said in the most innocent voice she could think of,<p>

"The one on the right is for the Jade Palace. The other one is to be sent to Yaoling village."

The sheep clerk took the scrolls to the back room with a bored expression. The one to be sent to the Jade Palace felt much heavier than the monkey had carried it. He shrugged. Probably some fan sending this to Po or one of the Furious Five, perhaps even Shifu. So much of the stuff circulated this station, it wasn't funny. Animals had to really get a hold of themselves. Dropping each one into its specified bag, the sheep went back to the monkey.

"That'll be a silver for postage."

The monkey handed the silver coin wordlessly to the sheep. The sheep picked it up. After studying it closely, he licked it and bit it. It didn't cave in or show any signs of fraudulence so he plopped it down into the cash register.

"Well off you go," said the sheep. "You're lucky you caught me now, I was going to close up shop. Good paths before you, ma'am."

The monkey blushed and walked out. Immediately her face went stoic. She looked around. Scaling the wall with ease, she moved along the roof to the back of the station. There were few buildings around, as this was the station before the Valley of Peace. She began to lower herself down, but paused as the door swung open. The sheep walked out and headed to a building further away. A soft golden glow came from the windows in the twilight. The door swung back to close, but the female monkey put her tail in the doorframe to keep it from shutting all the way. The sheep didn't seem to notice the absence of the sound of the door hitting the building. Dropping to the ground, landing with an audible thump, she edged her way into the building. The candles had been blown out except for one in the back window. It signaled that mail is here for pick up. She rummaged around in the bags for her scroll case. It was vital that she put a certain wax insignia on it. Eureka, she found it. Taking it out, she placed the wax seal on it. As she did so, she grumbled to herself about such silly needs for this damn secrecy. The wolves' had wanted her to do so, they told her that the clerk might notice the emblem and it would give away the plan. She thought the thing rubbish. A dose of paranoia gone too far. Still, there was nothing as too much caution. No, there was, she admonished herself. And this was it. A bird could have done this much quicker and faster. The seal could have been…

The beat of wings and feet touching grass reached her ears. She checked to make sure the wax symbol was on firmly and she left, placing the case exactly as before. Using the front door as her way out, she hurried into the darkness and back to the camp of the wolves. They said she would meet them in a certain spot and there she would go. The other scroll would reach Yaolin village first and travel to the wolves' faster. When she arrived, they would know.

The messenger goose, garbed in a yellow robe with green fringe, took out his key to the postal station. Unlocking the door, he stepping into the dim room and took hold of the bag. He stared curiously into the bag. He took a few out to see what was from who and other things. This was against Imperial rule, but he liked to peek into the lives of other animals, hopefully more exciting than his. A case caught his attention. The case was bamboo would in the middle with oak dyed red surrounding it. He reached for it and tried to pull it out. It was heavy. A package within most likely was in it. He hefted the case out and examined it. A red seal was noticeable at on of the circular ends. He peered at it. It was authentic. He put the case back and blew out the candle.

The _mail_ had come.

* * *

><p>The sun shone above Po's head as he cheerfully walked through the streets. His heroes, the Furious Five walked before him. A passing noodle cart called his name.<p>

"Snack time," he said to himself as he rubbed his paws together. The rotund panda slowed his pace and moved back to the noodle cart. He looked back. Where had the others gone….

"Po," stated Tigress flatly. "You just had a snack."

Po looked at his stomach and looked around at the other four.

"What snack?"

"I think Tigress means all the almond cookies you took from me," said Monkey.

"Oh," said Po, his eyes widened. "That snack. Sorry, Monkey, but they were good. Did you make them?"

Monkey groaned and Tigress rolled her eyes.

"Master Shifu is waiting for us, we should get going," Tigress said, turning back. Po's face dropped. No noodles. As the other four continued on their walk back through the village to the Jade Palace, Tigress looked over her shoulder.

"One bowl wouldn't hurt though, Po."

Po didn't have to be told twice. Gulping down the noodles in record time, he caught up with the Five. His innards were peaceful now along with his mind. Inner peace – just a week ago had he faced Shen in Gongmen City. Not but a week before had he discovered his true identity and gained peace of soul. Yes, a week had passed since Tigress had shown that she wasn't just a steel warrior. No, she was a steel warrior, just with a soft inside. Po was like that, only a little bit less steely and more jelly filled. Now that he thought about it, he was soft on the outside and inside. He gazed at houses in front of him. Rabbit children played in the street. A goat passed by and bowed in respect. Po bowed back and waved him goodbye.

Yet the hurts of the past still followed Po. Learning his past had brought memories of pain. His mother, the one who he had never known fully, was dead; his father, most likely gone, passed and gone to the Heavens with his mother. Yet the wounds weren't just on the inside. Tigress had taken a cannonball for Po, unable to see her friend hurt again. The four had fought alongside them as the Shen's cannon blew through the boats. The shrapnel had hurt the other four. Po's face, usually smiling, turned into a frown at the thought of his friend laying on the debris, hurt. He saw Crane laugh at a joke from Mantis. It was better now. Wounds heal and the scars of the past fade into oblivion.

"Hey, Po," called Mantis. "You still don't like stairs right?"

Po shook his head.

"No way! I hate 'em. Why do you ask…oh."

Po bent his head back to stare at the Jade Palace – and the steps that led up to it. He could face some of the most notorious villains in China, yet stairs still were his number one foe.

"I'm bringing you to justice, stairs!"

Po started up the staircase. Less than fifty steps later and he already felt a burn in his legs. The Five passed him.

"C'mon guys," Po wheezed. He continued upward. He saw Shifu standing at the entrance of the Jade Palace. In the red panda's hand held Oogway's staff, the ring of gold around the upper portion where it had snapped in the fight against Tai Lung. It was not good to keep the Master waiting. Po resumed his struggle up.

Shifu sighed as he watched Po try and walk up the flight of steps. He rolled his eyes. No matter what he did, Po couldn't climb stairs.

_I should get myself some tea_, he thought to himself. Shifu chuckled. It felt good to smile and laugh again. Po had brought Shifu inner peace, something that still amazed him. The Five reached the top, Po still thirty steps below, gasping for air. Grasping the top, Po finally pulled himself up.

"Yeah!"

Po punched the air with both fists.

"A record time," said Shifu dryly. "Now, how did your fight go with the crocodile bandits? I assume the items they stole have been returned?"

"Yes, Master," said Tigress.

"Good," said Shifu. "Training calls. Follow me."

Shifu led the Five and Po to the Training Hall and stopped. He turned around to face them.

"Today, we will not train in the Hall. Instead, I have something else planned."

Forgoing the Training Hall, the group of six followed Shifu outside the Palace walls and to an area beyond it. The Dragon Cave. The carving of the dragon staring with judging eyes at them, the steady dripping sound of water hitting water, and the calmness that permeated the air met Po. This was where only the Master's came to meditate.

"Physically, you are strong. Mentally, you are strong. We have done many physical training exercises, so here is one of physical _and_ mental control. It is simple, yet effective."

Shifu motioned toward six poles with a leaf of a lotus flower at its tip.

"Using the staffs, balance yourself on the top of the staff with the lotus flower bottom on the ground. When dinner is ready and I come back, the leaf shall have no hole in it and you shall be still balanced on top. Control, balance, and patience is key to this."

The Five wordlessly got their staffs and began to get up in their preferred poses.

Po just stared wide-eyed at his staff.

"Panda, are you afraid of the staff?" asked Shifu.

Po snorted.

"No – but it may be scared of my, uh, stomach."

"No need to worry, Po. That stick could support Master Rhino."

Nodding, yet still a bit worried, Po grabbed the pole and did like Shifu asked.

Po got into a position with one foot resting on the pole, his other foot pressing against his inner thigh and his arms outstretched. The rotund panda wobbled a bit before getting himself balanced. Shifu looked at his students; each one had their eyes closed and were perfectly still, except Po. He was still wobbling a bit. Nodding in satisfaction, the Grand Master limped off. This was a tough way to relax, the way Oogway would have told him to do so. Shifu smiled slightly as he headed toward the Hall of Warriors. The massive doors opened effortlessly as Shifu's thin hands pushed on them. The candles had been set up, each on lit and the room was illuminated by a soft, golden glow. The scent of lilac wafted over to the red panda's sensitive nose. The jade pillars passed by him on his way to the Dragon Pool. Along his way, the weapons of legend seemed to jump out at him. He looked this way and that; he had memories of the sage tortoise telling him the tale behind each one. Fond memories surfaced. He pushed them out and emptied his mind. Sitting on the stone floor, Shifu assumed the lotus position. Now was his time to relax.

"Inner peace," he mused to himself.

"Hey, guys, how are you doing that?" Po whispered loudly. Balance while standing still was something he needed to work on. Viper uncoiled herself a bit and opened one eye.

"It's hard to explain. You just have to find out what makes you become even."

Mantis chuckled,

"Even with that weigh in front of you."

"What weight? Oh, not cool," said Po, glancing at his stomach. Mantis just chuckled again, Monkey bit back laughter. "Now, to find out how to become even."

Po shifted his position. He immediately felt a bit more stability. He moved an arm down a bit. Moew stability seemed to come to him. Finally, Po bent his right arm so that his right paw was facing left. Po felt rock steady. He sighed. Inner peace and balance, what more could you ask for? _Dumplings_, he thought to himself.

"How long do we have to stay here?" asked Po, fiddling with his thumbs.

"However long Shifu says so," replied Tigress without opening her eyes.

Po's mouth formed an _o_. Shifu could be gone for a while. He might as well get comfy. He took a deep breathe and closed his eyes.

Tigress's eyes snapped open as a thunderous sound echoed throughout the Dragon Cave. Keeping herself steady, she looked around. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The water continued dripping methodically, giving no second thought to the tiger. The motionless dragon statue stood there, an unmoving beast of old. Another sound rocked the Cave. Tigress rolled her eyes as she realized it was Po. The monochromatic bear had fallen asleep. The panda continued to astound her – in a different way. First, he had been able to down twenty bowls of dumplings and still have room for dessert. Then, not just two days before Gongmen City, he had fit forty bean buns into his gaping mouth. Now he had fallen asleep and still kept his balance on the flower petal. As she studied the panda, she felt a warm, fuzzy sensation go over her. She shook it off. Ever since that conversation on the boat with Po, she had been overcome with emotions for Po. Her lithe body kept rigid still even as she fought with herself. Love? No, her training was more important and such a relationship would cause distractions to everybody in the Palace. But, never before had someone captured her attention like him. Never before had she been in a romantic relationship. She had felt alienated from most and very few ever talked to her like a friend besides the Five and Shifu. Then, the bumbling black and white bear came crashing from the sky down in front of her. The Dragon Warrior, Oogway had said. Tigress remembered her disgust for him at first. It changed from hatred to respect – now it had changed once again, something close to love yet not quite. A voice in the back of her head cautioned love. Po wasn't the right guy for her. He was just a friend. A close friend. Tigress shook her ochre head violently as she pushed those thoughts from her mind. Focus on what lay beforehand. Love couldn't, wouldn't, interfere with training. Po was just a good friend.

A gong sounded. As one, the kung fu Masters snapped their eyes open. After six and a half hours had Shifu now called them. Tigress leaned over and tapped Po.

"It wasn't me," he said woozily.

"You're right," said Tigress. "It wasn't. But you will be late for dinner if you don't hurry."

As Tigress bounded away with the speed of her species, Po kept his gazed locked onto her. Such a wonderful woman. Po laughed a bit as he jogged off. The word dinner still rang in his head. Dinner and Tigress, and maybe the rest of the Five to accompany them – that would have been the best combination ever! Po laughed silently as realized he got it every day.

_Now, what's for dinner?_

As Po passed the entrance gates into the grounds, he spotted Zeng, the messenger goose.

"Hey, Zeng!" Po called. "Anything for me?"

Zeng looked up for the source of the voice. He spotted Po.

"Oh, no," he stammered. "Just a letter from Master Ox concerning the rebuilding of the Tower of Sacred Flame in Gongmen City, but nothing else really."

Po nodded his head.

"Gotcha, see you round!"

Po stepped sneakily around the student barracks. Maybe he could get to the dinning area before Shifu could. The table had been set, with the noodle soup already laid out before them. The clatter of silverware and dishes colliding met his ears. The Five were already eating. The tick of chopsticks could also be heard. Tigress was having tofu. The only thing he couldn't hear was the Grand Master's voice.

"Would you like to join them?" came Shifu's voice from behind him.

Po whirled and bowed at the same time, something he had gotten good at.

"Master Shifu," he said.

"Well go on, you're not late yet," said Shifu, gesturing the door frame.

"Thank you."

The red panda nodded as Po shuffled into the room. Pulling out his wooden chair, recently smoothed, he sat down heavily. Ignoring the spoon, Po went straight for the bowl. Slurping loudly, Po downed the noodles with ease. His stomach gurgled for more. Getting up, he poured himself a second helping.

"You know, panda, spoons are a novel idea. Try using one, I insist," said Shifu.

Po picked up the spoon on the table and took a massive serving from his dish and gobbled it down.

"Sorry Master," Po apologized. "Just sitting up there made me hungry."

"Ah, speaking of that, how did the exercise go? I trust that you brought back the petal."

Reaching into their pockets, they pulled out the petals. Other than being slightly crumpled, each one was perfect. Shifu cleared his throat.

"Good work, each of you."

"Thank you, Master," was the immediate response.

"After dinner, you may retire for the night. I would like that each of you to be in bed by midnight though, tomorrow we begin training again."

The Grand Master pushed back his seat and walked out of the room. Crane pulled out wooden board.

"Anyone up for a game of mahjong?" he asked.

Everyone shook their head.

"I'm not playing you again, Crane," said Monkey. "It's like you cheat!"

Crane feigned a shocked expression.

"Excuse me, when have I ever cheated?"

"Nobody wants to play?"

"I'll play you!" said Po. "I don't think I've ever played a game of mahjong with you. You ready for awesomeness?"

"I'm sure he is, Po," said Mantis.

"I'll play to," said Tigress. "I'll be on Po's team."

Po was elated. Master Tigress was going to sit next to him and actually play a game on his team! Best game ever! As Tigress sat next to the panda, Po could feel his ears get hot. Never too good with girls, Po rarely spent much time around them. Now to have the first girl he truly cared about sitting next to him was almost more than he could handle. The next hours or so were going to be heaven.

Crane looked at Tigress. He squinted at her.

"Two heads are said to be better than one," he mused.

Monkey leapt to Crane's side of the board.

"I'm going to win a mahjong match at least once, so I'll be on your team Crane."

Viper and Mantis were left on the far side of the table, watching the two team's battle in mahjong. Occasionally, they gave advice, but other than that, they just watched. It seemed that having Tigress and Po together were more than a match for Crane. Yet it was only with Monkey's help that Crane managed to win.

"C'mon!" Po exclaimed. "And we were so close too!"

Tigress felt just a little bit defeated at loosing the game.

"Yes we were."

_And more than just close in the game too_, she thought. During the game, she had noticed how Po scooted closer to her till they were touching. If he did it on purpose or accident, Tigress didn't ask him. Crane put to the game away and after quick goodnights, they retired to their chambers. Candlelight went out from each room except Crane's. He preferred to stay up later and practice calligraphy. As Po sank into his cot, with the covers just big enough to cover his large body, he thought back on the game. The fur of Tigress brushing up against his, slight as it was. The steady up and down movement of her chest as she breathed. Her warm, fierce golden eyes staring intently at the game and Po. Her black and orange fur taking on a glisten in the red glow of stove with the softer glow of candles and fading moonlight peeping in through the windows. Po smiled as he remembered when Tigress scrunched up her face just a bit after Crane had done a particular sly move. Love plagued him like no disease could. It followed him around and let his imagination run free. A nagging doubt seemed to lodge itself in Po's mind though. As much as he liked Tigress, was it really a good romance to follow. It could be, or it could not be. With thoughts of Tigress, Po drifted to sleep.

Darkness blanketed the Valley of Peace. The pacifist villagers blew out the fires and lanterns that gave artificial brightness during night time. The indoor fires still blazed to give heat during the cool of the night. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, caressing them goodnight. The babbling streams let their lullabies reach the moon, trying to lull it to sleep. The village was asleep from the daily bustle of life. No longer did the clamor of voices mix with the beat of feet on the cobblestone roads. The sun had hidden itself and had taken away its heat with them. From the mountain above them, the Jade Palace towered above them, watching the village from its lofty peak. Finally, the last lights were extinguished – all but one. Within the farthest corners of his house, Zeng held the heavy case that he had picked up in his stops on his mail route. In the dark of the house on that run, he hadn't noticed the writing in dark blue ink that ran around the bamboo casing. He read it meticulously, not daring to miss a single character. The instructions were clear. A group of three needed to be found. They were to be dressed in a certain way. This called for a short trip to the village of Guanghao – a short day's travel for round trip. After that, his master's bidding would be fulfilled. Gathering a few of his possessions for the journey, he locked the door and flapped off. Shifu and the rest of the inhabitants of the Jade Palace could wait for the mail.

The familiar gong sounded in Po's ear. Time to wake up. Yawning widely, he flopped onto the floor and got up. The second gong rang. He had to be out the door now! Flinging the door open, he faced Tigress, who was standing there, with her paws behind her back. He glanced up the hallway to where Master Shifu was standing. The other four were standing to attention. Po had been just a fraction late.

"Sorry Master, I promise I'll be on time tomorrow," apologized Po.

"I will be waiting for you tomorrow right at that door," said Shifu. "I hope you are there, otherwise no second helpings for breakfast."

Po nodded rapidly. There was no way on this earth that he would miss second helpings of breakfast. That was the worst punishment ever he could think of.

The kung fu Master's had a quick warm up in the Training Hall before breakfast. Shifu watched with silent admiration for his students. They worked hard each day and they were always improving. He was extra careful to not make the same mistakes he had with Tai Lung or least one become like him, though the Grand Master doubted it. His students were the best anyone could ask for, each of them individuals yet together at once. Nothing escaped the Grand Master's ever watching gaze. He noticed the longing glances Po cast at Tigress and vice versa. Not that there was anything wrong with love. No, he was just worried how it might affect them. He didn't want something to happen to them or if the relationship when awry that a rift would separate them from working as a team if they were in danger. He prayed to the Heaven's for the best to come out of it. With the eye of a Master cognoscente, the red panda noted how Tigress's form didn't waver as she moved with ease from one of the twisted, moving ropes. A loud, "Haaaah" was heard. Monkey acrobatically flew through the air in the rungs hanging above from the ceilings. Mantis and Crane were sparring on the jade bowl. Viper dodged around the flames that jetted up from the floor beneath, leaping as high as the flames sometimes. His attention turned to Po. The panda knocked aside one of the appendages from the wooden column. It spun around, moving others around it. The large panda moved with surprising agility, weaving in and out of the deadly limbs. Po punched out, breaking the top off one. He continued without notice. The panda was getting much better too, Shifu reflect on. He truly was the Dragon Warrior.

"Good work, students!" called out Shifu. "Po, it is your time to make breakfast. Let us go."

The aging red panda waved his hand at the six. Stopping from their current activities, they walked out of the Hall and off to the dinning hall. Po got the water up to a boil and poured in the rice. As he stirred he hummed to himself. He started swaying his rear end in beat with his imaginary music. He felt his butt bump into someone. A clatter of dishes followed. Lifting the spoon from the rice, he turned to see Tigress on the floor surrounded by bowls.

"Po, watch your rear," she said, with irritation.

"Sorry," said Po, sneaking a bit of rice. "Mmmm, this is good. You'll like it."

It turned out that Tigress did like the breakfast of rice. Po had experimented and put a dash of lemon and pepper in it. Surprisingly, it was a very good meal. After breakfast, the six kung fu masters headed to the Training Hall again. Master Shifu on the other paw walked up to the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. It was there he had said his last goodbyes to Oogway, the sage tortoise. Oogway had been his close friend and almost like a second father. Oogway had helped him through the dark days after Tai Lung and had helped him make what he hoped to be good decisions with training the others. Even through all this, he still felt troubled inside. It wasn't until Po came along and Shifu trusted in Po that he had realized how chaotic his mind was. With Tai Lung gone, he had found peace. Now, he felt it a duty to visit Oogway's favorite spot to pay homage to him – or maybe it was that he still missed the tortoise. Shifu reached the overhang where the Tree was located. He looked at the other, smaller peach tree growing beside the old one. He smiled sadly as he remembered that night. That night, he had inadvertently planted the peach seed and Oogway had covered it with soil, telling Shifu that maybe a peach tree could defeat Tai Lung. If you are to nurture it, to believe in it, the tortoise had said. Shifu looked out at the Valley below him. The mist had risen from the ground and his impeccable hearing could already pick out the noise from the city. A rustle in the branches caused one of his ears to flick backwards. Still the winds blew, peach leaves rushing around him. He twisted his torso around to face the steps behind him. Po stood their, huffing and puffing.

"Sorry, stairs again."

"What do you want Po?" he asked, though not harshly.

"Just comin' up for no reason," said Po absently, plopping down next to Shifu. The red panda gave the giant panda some room.

"There is always a cause for something, Po."

Po looked at Shifu.

"Yeah, ok, there is a reason."

The Grand Master looked away from Po, straining his eyes to reach past the farthest mountains.

"What is it?"

"I dunno," said Po truthfully.

Shifu looked at Po peculiarly.

"How about I try and help you with it? Perhaps it is about your training?"

Po shook his head – no.

"One of the Furious Five?"

Po pursed his lips. He suddenly felt very self-conscious asking this. His courage faltered. Later, he promised himself.

"No," he lied.

The Grand Master just nodded.

"Then what is it?"

Po's mind rushed at a million miles per hour. He stared at the sun, then at the mountains.

"Hey, here's a question, what lies east of here? Like, way past those mountains?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

"Since you asked, I will tell you. There are many villages and rivers past this. You headed west to Gongmen City, right? Well, other than lots of villages, there are two major cities that have made a real name for themselves. One is the Imperial City, as I'm sure you know of."

"Who doesn't?" snorted Po.

Shifu continued,

"Another one is Mengyou City."

Po sat up.

"I've read about that one. Isn't it the city split in two? A river splitting into two also runs in the middle? They have a lord and lady there ruling over them, right? What are they again, I always forget their names."

"The Lord Kun Zhu and Lady Sun Nushi are the rulers there. And yes, you are right with the description. I have been there but once on a journey with Oogway. It is a marvelous place, though I prefer the Valley of Peace."

Po looked past the mountains.

"Could we go there?"

Shifu sighed, such excitement and energy. Why couldn't he have more of that?

"Maybe later, but for now, you have to get back to your training. You aren't even supposed to be here. Tell the Five I will be down for lunch."

As the lively panda jogged down the stairs, Shifu positioned himself in the lotus form. The world went dark as he closed his eyes. He felt the energy of the universe flow around him. He could feel the vibes of the peach tree. The dirt teemed with life. Everything seemed at peace. Even though the stars were not visible in the daytime, Shifu could see the light coming from the sky above. Time had no meaning to him as he sat there. A Grand Master in this state could stay like this for ages. Only the gong telling him it was lunchtime made him get up. Inner peace was the perfect harmony. Nothing could get better than that. With inner peace, nothing is impossible. The Furious Five were constantly working on receiving inner peace and they were close. Po already had inner peace. The simplest thing had granted him this – but he was one to like the simplest aspects of life. Shifu smiled. After such a long time of not smiling during the incarceration of Tai Lung, it felt new and fresh to show such emotions again. As Shifu entered the mess hall, he could already smell the mouthwatering aromas coming from it. The panda was cooking again and his was the best the Jade Palace had ever come by. He sat himself at the table and wordlessly took the bowl handed to him. Conversation started up again. It was times like these everyone treasured.


	13. A Bloody Goodbye

Zeng landed in Guanghao just as the sun started to dip down from its position at the top of the sky. He knew exactly where to go to. He had frequented this area many times on mail runs, so many of the population new him. They said high, occasionally bowed, and even others invited him to join them for dinner that evening. He had to decline them all, saying it was important that he get back to the Palace by evening. And it was. As Zeng continued his walk in the village, he started noticing how some of the houses weren't kept up as well as the others. He was heading in the right direction. A particular shabby house that almost leaned against the tavern beside drifted into Zeng's view. The house beside the tavern was disheveled. The door had been boarded up and the roof had a hole in it. Mosses and fungi could be seen near the decrepit window sills. Nobody had lived there in almost ten years and it would never be sold. Superstitious stories of murders and haunting surrounded that house. Zeng shook his narrow head knowingly. How easy it was to deceive others. Turning away from the dark house, he entered the dimly lit tavern. A patron or two sat at the wooden tables. The one eyed pig spat at Zeng. Zeng didn't care; he had other, more important matters to attend to. He sat the bar and knocked on the bar three times. A goose came up from under the bar, rubbing his head.

"Ouch, I seemed to have hit my head on the blasted bar," said the goose.

"Are you okay?" said Zeng. "I know of three doctors that could look at that for you."

Immediately the goose stopped rubbing his head. He gave Zeng a slight nod.

"Back door and then drop. After that, go right," the bartender whispered from the side of his beak. "One ale comin' right up!"

The bartender turned around to pull down on the tap to fill a bottle. Zeng disappeared through the back door. One of the other regulars noticed the messenger goose leaving.

"Hey, he's goin' 'way! C'n I 'ave his beer?"

"Sure," said the bartender.

Zeng closed the door behind him. He was inside a _very_ narrow hallway. Its width was just wide enough for two geese to fit through. The ceiling was just as high as the doorframe, letting an animal stand to its own height. Maybe a rhino would have to duck. The room was also very short – a little under seven feet in length. At the very back of the room, a steel grate filled the floor. With a struggle, Zeng lifted the grille off the floor. Jumping into the depression beneath it, the grating slammed shut with a clang. He flinched. Hearing nothing coming from both sides, he continued on. A second grate lay directly above him. The messenger goose decided that he wasn't going to even try to open it.

"Open this now!" he cried.

A guttural voice called back.

"Who goes there?"

"Shuttup and open the gate, you cliché killer! That line is too old for even a storybook!"

A grumble came and then the grate was hoisted open.

"Zeng," said the guttural voiced animal. It was a crocodile.

"Yes, Kwan, you blind and deaf idiot."

The crocodile laughed.

"Still paranoid, goose?"

Zeng huffed. "Wrong use of words."

A female voice cut through the two arguing beasts.

"Why are you here, Zeng? Have you received the letter?"

Zeng turned to see a fox emerge from the darkness of the room. A candle was lit and three beasts garbed in black could be made out. The crocodile, Kwan was standing next to Zeng. The massive reptilian shuffled back to his previous position next to the fox. A rabbit hopped and placed itself at Kwan's right side.

"To answer your question, Wu," started Zeng, feeling the nervousness leave him. This was his territory now. He was a commanding officer in the wolves' army and here were his own little band of assassins. "I have."

The rabbit piped up and said in a high voice.

"When do we strike?"

Zeng had to hide his smile. No matter how hard he tried, the adult rabbit's peculiar high voice always caused mirth to him. Kwan also seemed to find the voice humorous.

"Tonight."

The rabbit's foot started to slam rapidly on the wooden flooring. The board broke. The rabbit cursed at the board, for a splinter had decided to get itself lodged within his foot paw.

"Still have that nervous twitch, huh, Hsuh?" taunted Zeng. He needed something to make him feel better and bugging his subordinates helped.

The fox rolled her eyes and she stuck one of her hips out. Wu clearly did not believe that what they were told to do was possible.

"No questions are going to be asked after this," said Zeng. He pulled out the red wax seal that had been fastened to the case he got. The three peered at it with interested looks, the rabbit bouncing up and down occasionally.

"The black-hearted wolves themselves, eh?" said Kwan. He began to crack his knuckles. "Finally, after – what was it? Four, no, I don't care – after a long time we finally get to strike! Ohhhh, this is going to be good. I can't wait to drive a knife through that damn tiger's neck. The stupid praying mantis is gonna be next. I'll crush is abdomen and let him die slowly."

Zeng struck Kwan hard across the face.

"Fools," he hissed. "If we kill them, Canku and Xisong will _not_ be happy. Our necks, not just the kung fu Master's, will be rolling on the ground! We just have to knock them out and get them in chains. The Furious Five in Gongmen City were chained up once, all together, their limbs immobilized. Shen did so! If the dead peacock can, so can we! Monkey's tail will have to be tied in knots though to ensure he doesn't grab anything, though. That was a fatal flaw."

Kwan rubbed his cheek. He snarled.

"Why can't we kill them?"

"I would like to know that also," said Wu, shifting her weight to her other hip.

"We will get them to bow before the wolves! It's all part of their physiological warfare plan or something like that. Just do what they say. Canku still likes physical violence just as much as you do Kwan. Maybe he will let you have some fun with them before they do die."

Zeng turned to leave and beckoned them to follow him.

"I will explain what to do on the way there, we will have the time."

Gathering their weapons, the three assassins along with the messenger goose left the dilapidated building out another way. The mountains of the Valley of Peace could be seen towering upwards. Nightfall would bring a definite gloom to the Valley – there was no doubt.

* * *

><p>The sounds of a thousand shards of wood hitting the floor filled the air along with a loud shout. Tigress again had burst the wooden clubs that swung back and forth, threatening to knock the user off the already twisting ropes beneath. Ignoring the noise, Monkey flew through the air to attack Tigress. Tigress accepted the challenge without a word and sparred with Monkey on the moving ropes. The master's dodged each other's punches and kicks with ease, all while avoiding the spiked wooden clubs. Shifu noted the sparring match that had begun and watched with interest. Tigress swept Monkey's feet from underneath him, yet the primate's tail stopped him from loosing his balance. Monkey counterattacked, forcing the tiger on her defense. She blocked the strong kick from the monkey and jumped upward, slamming her foot down. Monkey was able to block the kick and twisted up to jab at her chin in an uppercut motion. Tigress swayed like a tree in the wind to dodge the attack. She kicked out with her other leg and twirled in the air so that her paws would catch her from falling. She was just able to grasp the spinning ropes used the momentum to get back on her feet. Monkey hadn't expected the kick and stumbled backwards as Tigress advanced. Still on his guard though, Monkey lashed back. A green blur came from his arm. Viper wrapped herself around Tigress's neck and arm. Using the tiger's own formidable strength, she had Tigress punch herself.<p>

"Viper, what are you doing?" gasped Tigress.

Viper smile mischievously.

"Doing what Shifu told me to do."

Shifu laughed a bit.

"You needed more of a challenge. Monkey is difficult with his constant movement, but two acrobats like Viper _and_ Monkey should really push you to greater feats."

As the sparring among the three continued on the moving ropes, Po pulled Crane aside, careful not to step on Mantis.

"Can I ask you a question?" asked Po quietly.

"Fire," said Crane, still focused on the fight.

"It's serious. It's about Tigress."

Crane's full attention was on Po that instant. He looked deep into the panda's jade orbs. What was the Dragon Warrior getting at?

"What about Tigress?" asked Crane slowly.

"Do you think she would like me?"

Crane chuckled.

"That is a good joke."

Po looked hurt.

"I'm serious!"

Crane stopped his laughing at once. So Po wasn't being funny. No, Po, the Dragon Warrior, had fallen for the fair and deadly Miss (and Master) Tigress. Crane draped his grey and white feathered wing around Po's shoulder.

"I wouldn't know," he said truthfully. Po sighed and glanced back at Tigress, admiring her form. "But I think she does have a soft spot for you now Po. When she hugged you at Gongmen City, my beak dropped open. Nobody has ever got that from Tigress. To be brutally honest though, she most likely, almost one-hundred percent doesn't love you but she does like you."

Po had expected that answer. Maybe things would turn for the better and Tigress did love him back. The chances of that happening though were quite slim. Still, a glimmer of hope planted itself in Po. No animal had ever gotten a hug from Tigress and he, Po, the round panda, had! Well, perhaps there was something special there.

"Thanks buddy," Po replied.

Turning back to watch the finish of Tigress's, Viper's, and Monkey's fight, they studied how each one moved. Shifu had told them before that when you are not sparring and instead watching other's at work, observe what they do. At last the fight finished with Tigress loosing. Even in her defeat, with all her anger just at the surface from loosing, she lost gracefully. Monkey and Viper told her though, that they wouldn't have beaten her alone. It was only by the two of them working together had they been able to beat the Master of the Tiger style. They walked out the doors of the dojo and into the night air.

"Wow," said Po. "We must've kicked training's butt today, it's already night!"

"Yes," agreed Shifu. "You did train hard. A good night's sleep is in call. Off to bed now. As a reward, I will let you sleep in."

Po's ears perked up.

"Woah!" he said, breathless. "Master Shifu giving out rewards!" The black and white panda pumped his fist in the air.

"For five extra minutes," finished Shifu.

Po's exuberance disappeared.

"That's the Shifu I know," said Mantis. "And that's the Shifu you should know."

Shifu smiled softly.

"I'll be in the Sacred Hall meditating. Po, I do hope your snores don't reach there. And remember Po, I expect you up at the door by the first gong!"

The Five snickered.

"Earthquakes do seem to happen during the night," commented Monkey.

"That's only where I walk," retorted Po, his smile reaching to his ears.

With the jabs at Po stopped, the Five and Dragon Warrior walked to the barracks for the night. The candles hadn't been lit yet as Shifu reached the Dragon Pool. Taking a wick, he slowly and methodically lit each one like Oogway had done. Finally, they were light and the familiar scent of the candles washed over Shifu, calming his nerves. He took a deep breath in then left it come steadily out, making the candles waver. Once more, he was able to feel the energy of the universe around him. It wrapped around him and let him feel alive. All was peaceful and he could hear the snores of Po. With this enlightened senses, he could almost hear the rhythmic breathing of Tigress. He could hear Crane shuffle his feathers and the rasp of Viper's scales against the wood floor as she changed position. He could hear the faint tap of Mantis' pincers as he drummed against his cot in a dream. Monkey's faint wheezing when he slept was audible. He smiled. This was were fate led him and this was were he belonged.

Po's stomach gurgled. He was hungry. He contemplated on whether he should get a midnight snack or just sit tight. His appetite won over. With the floorboards protesting under the panda's weight, he was able to make it to the kitchen without any interruptions. What did he feel like tonight? Looking up and down the cabinets, his mind knowing what lay behind the doors. Dumplings, rice, salt, peppers, bread were just a few to be named. Po licked his chops as he settled on the clay jar sitting on the top shelf. Monkey's almond cookies! It was almost funny to think that Monkey still didn't know who ate his cookies. Shaking his rear, he got ready to make the jump. A creak made him whirl around. He begged it wasn't Shifu. Thankfully, it was not.

"Oh, hey Zeng," said Po, trying his best to be nondescript.

"Hey, P-Po," stuttered Zeng. The goose was under a lot of pressure right now. He didn't need distractions. And why wasn't the panda in bed? He was one of the main targets! Mantis was probably already in the box. Viper tied in a knot around Monkey and Crane with massive weights and chains around them. They were saving Tigress and Po last. Po might be the most skilled at kung fu, but Tigress was by far the more dangerous. Zeng's mind churned. He needed to get going.

"I'll be going then," stammered the messenger goose. "D-don't want to k-keep you up."

Po had forgotten to breath. As the sigh of relief escaped from his mouth and as he shimmied up the cupboards he thought

_Why was Zeng in the barracks?_

* * *

><p>Shifu felt a presence behind him.<p>

"What is it Zeng?"

Zeng was a bit unnerved by the fact that Shifu knew it was him. Keeping his composure together, Zeng said in a voice he thought was casual,

"I bring a letter – from somewhere in the west. By the workmanship, it seems to be from a major city."

Zeng handed the case to the Grand Master. The dark blue ink had been smeared and it gave the case a unique, but regal, appearance. The Grand Master was surprised by how much it weight. Zeng bowed low and backed away.

"The note I receive with it said it needed to be opened instantly, something about a plea."

Shifu nodded solemnly. Some animal needed their help and they shall get it. He twisted the top like he had done to so many of the other cases. He heard a small _clink_ and a _tick_.

"What kind of letter did you say this was, Zeng?" asked the red panda.

Zeng smiled evilly.

"A letter to say goodbye!"

At that moment, Zeng leapt backwards and a fireball of orange and yellow engulfed the Grand Master. A thunderous sound echoed throughout the Hall of Heroes. As the jade rubble stopped clattering and the greenish dust cleared slowly, Zeng smiled at his handiwork.

* * *

><p>Tigress bolted upright. A fox and rabbit were staring at her, knives drawn. They held the two blades to her throat. The rabbit spoke softly,<p>

"Don't move or your skin'll make a beautiful rug."

Tigress ignored it and she planned her escape route. She kicked backwards; her incredibly flexible body letting her feet reach the faces of her two assailants. They smashed against the wall that her bed touched. Jumping upwards, she slammed down on the rabbit first, stunning him. The fox was a bit harder. She had attached herself to the wooden walls and now had the advantage of height. A loud roar broke the silence and a green and black and white ball came from the room that was across from hers. The ball smashed into the fox, who still kept there, shock registering on her face. The fox crumpled to the floor. A mighty "hi-ya" came from Po and the crocodile was flung off. To Tigress's surprise, the rabbit had gotten up again. The small creature showed great bravery – or just plain stupidity – and lashed out a Tigress with his knives. The Master of Tiger style deflected the blades, her paws connecting with the hilt of the knives. The rabbit feigned left and stabbed right. Po's paw landed on the rabbit's elbow, knocking the arm to the side. The fox had gotten up also and caught the rabbit.

"Get the other's, I'll handle them," said Tigress, still sizing up her competition. Three assassins, each of them armed to the teeth, this was going to be easy. With a growl of defiance, she dropped to the floor and spun around while kicking out. The blow landed the croc onto his stomach. She slammed her fist down, to knock out the croc, but he rolled out of the way. She roared with pain as a knife sliced her side. Thankfully, she had been able to move out of the way a bit, so the deadly weapon didn't cut too deep. Clutching her side to prevent too much blood loss, she fought one handed. An ululation caused the fighting to stop for an instant. In came the Dragon Warrior and the four of the Five. Getting into their, ready positions, the advanced slowly; this simple maneuver boxed there invaders within her room. Blood stained the wood beneath her red as drops of blood seeped out. Mantis attacked with blinding speed. The fox was just able to block the quick succession of blows from the powerful bug. The assassins were defeated and they were going to die – whether by these Master's hands or the hands of their leaders they didn't know. A violent explosion could be heard. A grin plastered itself on the croc's mouth.

"Hope you can save your Master," he snickered.

"Master Shifu!" cried Po.

Master Shifu couldn't be dead, right? The sudden sensation of loosing their master caused each to shudder. The assassin's took the moment to leap over them and flee out the door.

"After them," barked Viper.

Each one sped like a lighting bolt out of the room, hot on the assassins trail. They weren't running away though, they were running toward the Hall of Warriors. Wisps of smoke trailed out from the doorway. Zeng could be seen at the door, waving for them to frantically come. The fox looked back and leered at them,

"It's us or your beloved master! Oh, and Zeng might've done something to your him."

The geese's eyes lit up. Tigress noted the look of fear in his eyes. He _had_ done something! Fury filled her. She could sense it among her friends. With no logic backing up their decision, they all sprinted toward the hapless goose. Zeng ran inside seeing the look of pure hatred on each of their faces. Even the happy-go-lucky Po was steaming mad. The doors burst open, one of them almost ripped off of its hinge by the raw power of the kung fu Masters. As they surveyed the inside of the Hall, their anger melted. It was replaced by grief and sorrow. All her rage left her. The world seemed to get distant for Tigress and she stumbled forward. Zeng used this to his advantage and flapped away, yelling curses at them. No longer was he the meek messenger of the Palace. He was the slayer of Shifu, master at explosives.

Tigress knelt at the blasted crater. She stared in. Pieces of flesh and bone were strewn about. Blood splatters covered the jade pillars. The candles now had a pink and red hue to them. The candles on the far side still sputtered on. Torn pieces of Shifu's green robe, now burnt, were lying about. The pulped torso of the red panda lay at the far right side. His legs were all but gone. What replaced it was the jagged, stark white bone of his hips. The eyes were motionless and the pupils were gone, gone from the sudden burst of light. The dead red panda still clutched at the now shattered rod in his hand. Tigress broke down in sobs. This was the first time she had cried in a long time. The one who had adopted her from the Bao Gu Orphanage was dead. The one who she had called master and sometime father no longer lived among them. The tattered remains of the once noble and now serene Grand Master was all she had left. The other five lowered their heads in respect – Tigress the only who showing open mourning. They had never seen the rock solid tiger show this much emotion. This truly was a great loss for her. Po shuffled his feet. Closing his eyes and praying for the best, he knelt beside Tigress. Tigress did something quite out of character. She wrapped her arms around the rotund panda and buried her head in his shoulder. He could feel her body heave up and down as sobs coursed through her. Tears openly coursed down her black and orange streaked fur. A truly heartbroken tiger now embraced him. Po felt nothing put pain and sympathy for her. He gingerly put his arms around her too. This wasn't a show of affection for Tigress, she just needed something to hold onto. Like an anchor stopping her from drifting her away. She sniffled and regained her composure. She sat up, her piercing gaze never leaving Po's jade eyes.

"I promise you and swear to my ancestors, Shifu will be avenged, even if I die trying," she whispered. The five heard her. They muttered their consent. The Valley could live without them for a while as they chased Shifu's killers. The villagers too would support their actions, for Shifu was a beloved member of the Valley.

"We leave now."

Tigress got up determinedly. Her side hurt from the blows she had taken in the fight in her bedroom. Viper took her arm.

"I know you grieve, Tigress, but it is blinding you. First, we shall fix your side, then continue on. Okay?"

Tigress nodded feebly and let herself by guided back to the barracks. They lay her in her own bed. Tremors came over Tigress as she fought back the memories that surfaced. Po watched over her all night, dozing so that they might catch them in the morning.

* * *

><p>Three would-be assassins and a killer goose fled from the Valley of Peace. Surprisingly, nobody had awoken from the sound of the explosion.<p>

_They thought it must have been the thunder_, scoffed Zeng.

On they ran, hoping to escape the wrath of the Furious Five and Po. They had failed the mission – well, halfway failed. The other six had not been contained but Shifu was dead. That was the main objective of their group. Yet, they were retreating. They should have been standing at the steps of the Jade Palace in victory, the six at their feet. What would Canku and Xisong think now? No mercy would be shown for failure. At last, the Jade Palace was just a slight blot high in the horizon. Panting, the three land creatures stopped by a tree. Zeng glided downwards, looking over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed. To his surprise, they weren't. Kwan leaned against the tree heavily.

"So," he said, struggling to catch his breath, "what are we gonna do now?"

Zeng paced back and forth. His head bobbing in the way bird's heads do. Zeng thought hard. The fox lay on her back, staring up at the stars, wondering what her ancestors were thinking of her now. Hsuh started pounding his feet on the compacted dirt. Sweat glistened off the bulky crocodile as the moonlight reflected from it. Finally finding his breath, Kwan stood up and looked Zeng squarely in the eye.

"We can't go back to the wolves! As sure as hell we can't!"

Zeng met his gaze unflinchingly.

"I know!"

Again the goose started pacing.

"Could you stop that?" asked Wu, fanning herself. "It's driving me crazy."

"You know what drives me crazy?" asked Zeng politely.

"What?"

"Failure!"

Hsuh groaned.

"At least Shifu is killed. Did you hear the sobs comin' from that tiger? Boy, she was mad and sad. Hey, they rhyme!"

Zeng had a sudden impulse to punch the rabbit.

"Yes, but the six others aren't contained; they are going to come after us! Wherever we go, they will follow! We might as well–"

Zeng halted mid-sentence. Slowly, a large smile grew on his face.

"They will follow us," he repeated. "Like a tick is drawn to blood."

"What are you sayin', boss?" asked Kwan.

"I'm going to do you a favor. I'll risk my neck and fly all the way to tell the wolves' what happen. Here's what you will do. They don't want those masters at there army until a while later, right?"

The three nodded dumbly. Zeng continued.

"While I fly back to the wolves, you will lead the Five and the Dragon Warrior on a merry chase? Got it?"

Wu held up her paw to interrupt Zeng.

"For how long?"

Zeng rubbed his wings together.

"Oh, a short period of time. No less than about six to seven months. By then, who knows, maybe the army will be at the gates of the Valley of Peace and there we will catch them unaware. All you need to do is make one massive circle!"

Hsuh's foot paw moved faster. Clearly, he was nervous about this task. Killing someone in there sleep or capturing them was easy. Evading six Masters for over half a year was taxing. Wu looked grim and she started grooming herself without notice. Kwan scratched himself and looked dubiously at the goose.

"Got it?"

Halfheartedly, they murmured their consent.

"Good," said Zeng. He started flapping his wings. The bird was suddenly hovering ten feet above the ground. He flew away.

"Good luck!" he sneered back.

Wu looked at the goose with a bit of rage in her amber eyes. Huffing, she set off at a steady pace. The two males caught up with her.

"Off we go, right?" asked Hsuh, almost cheerfully.

"Off we go," muttered Wu.

Kwan laughed nervously,

"If they catch us, at least our death will be quick. Canku would most likely boil one of us alive and make the other eat the damn soup he then would poison."

Kwan's dark humor made Wu smile a bit.

"I think I would prefer Hsuh soup," she said, adding to the joke.

Hsuh sniffed.

"You would have to stop me from shoving a spit through your body first. Fried fox, mmmm, sounds delicious."

"Shuttup guys," said Kwan. "Let's just focus on getting outta here and start running, 'cause this is gonna be one insane, wild _goose_-chase."

As bad as the pun was, each laughed, nervousness lacing the outburst.


	14. Chasing Them

Even though the sun shone through the shutters of Tigress's room, it felt gloomy. There she lay, alone in her room, covered with her blankets, her eyes closed, resting. She waited for the gong to sound. There was none. She pursed her lips and rolled over. Yes, Shifu had promised them five minutes more to sleep in. Five minutes passed and still no sound of the gong. She opened her eyes slowly, and took a deep breath. She flung the covers off and got up. Tigress clutched her side as it started to cramp. Why was she hurt? The images of last night came back to her. Zeng, flying off, yelling curses... The three assassins fleeing into the night after they had attacked her and were beaten. Worst of all, the body of Shifu that lay motionless among the rubble, mutilated. Shifu was dead. The full reality of it finally struck her. No more training under his watchful eye. As simple as it was to say, it was hard to think. Shifu was dead. A single tear rolled down her cheek. How long had it been since she cried? This was the time to mourn. Tigress got up to her full height and changed into her normal outfit; black pants and the red tunic with the black flower patterns outlined in gold thread. Her side hurt less now. The hallway was quiet, none of the normal sounds of the others in their own rooms. The slight smell of candle smoke came from Crane's room. Tigress padded softly to the dining hall. She walked over to her seat and sat heavily in it. The chair where Shifu sat was empty, a glaring reminder of the night before. Po set a bowl of rice in front of Tigress and handed her chopsticks. Almost robotically, she picked up the bowl and started eating, her orange eyes glued to the empty seat. Po sat at the end of the table and slurped his own breakfast down faster than any of them there. Putting the bowl down, he took a dumpling from another bowl and promptly ate it.

"I think the first thing we need to do is tell the villagers," said Viper. "They have as much right to now as we do."

"Yeah, but how are we going to tell it to them?" asked Monkey, his mouth full. "We can't have a large ceremony. Tigress, I'm sure wants to go after those bandits."

"And who will lead and protect them while we are away?" asked Crane.

"My dad wouldn't be a good choice," Po chortled. The downcast faces remained the same.

"Actually, he could be," said Mantis. "You'd just have to lay down the laws of leading to him."

"Mr. Ping and a couple others will lead them while we are gone. It would make it more fair to the rest of them, instead of just one governing," said Viper. "We'll decide who when we get down to the village."

"After that, we are going after them," said Tigress flatly. "I don't care how long it takes, but they will pay for what they did. We leave as soon as all of you are finished."

The downcast expression had been replaced by the fierce look of determination on Tigress's face everyone was accustomed to. The tiger got up and walked out. Just a quickly, the rest down their breakfast and followed her to the Hall of Warriors. During the night, as Tigress rested, they had cleaned out the Hall of Warriors and had buried Shifu's body. None of them had liked the job.

"We buried him near the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom," said Po. "I think he would've liked that."

"I'm sure he would have," murmured Tigress in agreement. "If you don't mind I'm going to say my last goodbyes."

"Take your time," said Viper kindly. To the others, "Let's go tell the news to the villagers. Try to ease into it, when you're telling them. You got that Po? Mantis?"

As the other five started down the stairs to the village, Tigress went to the Peach Tree. Her feet felt like they were weighted down and her movements seemed sluggish. There seemed to be a massive weight on her shoulders, like a millstone had been cast around her neck. At last, she reached the top of the cliff were the Peach Tree grew. Serenity lived here, and quiet its neighbor. Shifu's staff stood erect at the side of the tree, the golden band glinting in the dawn's sunlight. Tigress knelt by it and bowed her head in homage. She didn't cry nor did she let any emotions display. She looked up over the Valley. The Bao Gu Orphanage standing out, away from the village, stood out and the image of the building cut into her. The sight of Shifu holding the domino in his hand, unafraid of who she was and what she had been called: monster. She looked away abruptly, forcing herself to not think about it. She saw the stairs and could almost make out her younger self and a much younger Master Shifu climbing the stairs for the first time, his stern face never looking at the tiger cub that walked inches behind him, excited for her future. Her eyes moistened. Why was she suddenly so emotional? Po knew who he was now and she did not. Her parents had abandon her and her only fatherly figure was gone. _That_ was why. A tear finally did manage to slip out between her eyelids and rolled slowly down her cheeks, dampening them. Finally, it fell to the dry ground, moistening the dirt under which Shifu lay.

"Why do you cry, childen?" a warbly voice spoke. "Do you believe your tears will raise Shifu again?"

The voice was calm, peaceful, and kind. It had compassion and understanding behind every word it spoke. Only one animal had Tigress known that spoke like that. Oogway.

The apparition of Oogway floated before her, pink peach leaves swirling around his legs.

"Anger clouds vision, yet peace will show the way everytime."

"Master," said Tigress, getting up and bowing in respect to the sage tortoise.

The tortoise smiled softly. He reached out with a long black claw and pointed it at Tigress. His aged eyes pierced into Tigress.

"You know, Tigress, the heart and mind are two separate beings. They quarrel together sometimes, but when they are together, they speak wisdom."

Tigress looked at Oogway, unsure of what to say. Yet as she dug deeper inside herself, she saw that Oogway spoke of her. Her mind and heart both seemed to cry out opposite things and she was confused, hiding behind the hardened mask.

"Your words always are true, Master," replied Tigress. The elderly tortoise smiled.

"You know, Tigress," began Oogway. He sat down and gazed up at the peach tree. "I remember when I was young, anger once took hold of me and it brought me to things I would have never done."

Oogway leaned in closer to Tigress.

"Are you guided by anger?"

Tigress vehemently shook her head, but slowed. She was driven by anger this time. Was Master Oogway saying her anger wasn't justified, that she shouldn't seek out his killers?

"Are you saying I shouldn't seek to avenge Master Shifu?" she asked, puzzled.

"I didn't say that," said Oogway.

"Then what are you saying?" asked Tigress. She kept her calm though irritation of the sage's riddle like talk began to irk her.

"I am saying you must let your heart and mind be in harmony. Do what _is_ right, in the eyes of everyone; even if it is a hard decision for yourself. Go now and remember what I have said. You're friends are waiting."

The peach leaves whirled around and gone was Oogway, leaving Tigress alone on the cliff to ponder what the tortoise had been trying to say.

* * *

><p>A cry of despair went up from the villagers as the kung fu Master's told of Master Shifu's death. Most wept openly. A few able to hold back the grief that tried to overtake them.<p>

"The burial has been finished," said Crane, slightly moved by the villagers. "You may pay homage to him later. First we have something very important to say."

Still the weeping continued.

"Hey!" shouted Po above the din. The villagers quieted their loud weeping to sniffles. "We don't like it at all, like you guys. But we're going to bring those evildoers to justice!"

A weak cheer went up from the crowd. Po continued,

"We are going to be gone for a while, probably. So, we have placed a couple of you to help run things."

The list of names was read and they stepped forward and promised to run things fairly. As the villagers began to go back to their normal chores, all the less cheerfully because of the dark news that had beset them, the Five and Po ran to the end of the village and out into the bamboo forest that lay on the outskirts of the village. Tigress ran ahead, her mind furiously trying to figure out what Oogway had meant. As time passed, his advice became lost to her and she focused on running.

The sun rested at its zenith before they spotted a dark patch of red in the dirt. They skidded to a halt. Mantis hopped down to examine it. Drops of blood were few and far between but the trail led them to a tree. The grass looked as if it hadn't been touched and the tree didn't looked at all used.

"Why are we here?" asked Tigress, eager to go back on their tracking. "We are loosing time."

Mantis jumped to her shoulder.

"I'm just checking to make sure we are following the right people."

"I can't tell much about this area," said Po, flipping over a rock with his foot.

"But I can."

The green praying mantis disappeared among the green grass and foliage of the tree. Tigress moved her feet impatiently. Viper's tongue flitted in and out, tasting the air.

"I can taste them," said Viper. "Their aroma is in the air."

"You can _taste_ them?" asked Po incredulously.

Viper nodded.

"Awesome. What do I taste like?"

"Dumplings."

Mantis came back carrying a grey feather and a small green rock. No, it was a scale. In one of his other feet, two slivers of hair, one orange, the other white, were grasped by his pincer-like feet.

"A feather from Zeng paired with the scale and the hairs means Zeng is definitely not who we thought he was."

Tigress took the feather from Mantis' pincers and tucked it into her shirt pocket. It was her reminder of the one who did this. She would never forget the messanger's face. Tigress spotted more tracks ahead of them. She started running again. Po called after her.

"Where ya going?"

"I found more of the trail. Let's go."

The rest of the Furious Five followed her without question. Po looked a bit dazed.

"When she sees something like that, she's off," said Monkey. "Don't question it, it's usually right."

"Oh, gotchya."

The trail became easier to follow as they left the tree. Footprints were more noticeable and an occasional tree had been marked or a scale was left on the ground. They were hot on the trail of Shifu's killer, except no longer did they see any feathers from Zeng. The fact was disregarded by Tigress, who, forgetting Oogway's warning, had let her rage begin to drive her. On the days went. They followed the trail as easily as Po took Monkey's cookies. Conversation was scarce among the six, even when they rested from the long hours of running.

Night finally fell, and the tired Master's were eager to relax from the day's running. They had lost count of the day's they had spent tracking the assassins. The trail had begun to zigzag in a large snake pattern. They couldn't risk having the trail suddenly break the pattern and veer off somewhere, making the miss it. The six were forced to follow it. Crane had been able to fly above and scout the next terrain, but had been able to do so in the forest they now ran through. A stream ran beside them and they refreshed themselves in the water. A camp was set up; the Masters hadn't carried much with them, only a few necessities. They had passed a village before and been able to purchase supplies and now enjoyed them. A fire blazed in the middle of the circle of Masters as they ate their dinner of dumplings and water from the stream. Stars above began to appear and the bright moon joined the stars in their endless waltz across the sky. No wind blew through the forest they were in now and it was still. The river talked to them endlessly, it struck the edges of the banks and the smooth riverstone that had risen above the water. The grass was soft underneath Po as he settled himself down. His canvas pants rubbed against his furry bottom as he leaned back to gulp down his own rations. The dumplings weren't as good as his dad's, but they would suffice. He burped and rubbed his stomach. Talking seemed forbidden. Each of his friends was silent with the scarcest of speech escaping their lips. Po decided to break that barrier.

"Was that good or what?"

"It was good," said Monkey. "I wish I had my almond cookies though now. Too bad I didn't bring any from the Jade Palace."

"Yeah, those would be good right now," said Po as he thought back to the crunchy, sweet goodness of the almond cookies.

"For me, not for you!"

"Oh. Hey, what about you, Viper? What do you want with you right now?"

Viper looked up from staring at the fire.

"Maybe my ribbons, I havn't seen them in a while now." Viper had been a dancer before she had taken on the art of kung fu and still enjoyed dancing with the ribbons now and then.

"You can still dance, you know," said Po. He hated seeing his friends this downcast. He knew why, but still, sadness would last forever if they didn't blow it away. Viper said nothing after that. she just looked away.

"What about you, Crane? Mantis?"

Crane put his other leg down from his balanced position. Crane's famous hat lay on the ground beside him.

"My calligraphy pen and paper."

"I don't really know," said Mantis before Po could reask the question.

Po nodded. He glanced at Tigress. Her eyes were closed and she had adopted a lotus position. Her breathing was steady. The tiger's chest fell up and down in rhythm to a beat only she knew. Po got up. His pants felt loose, so he hiked them up. He walked over to Tigress and sat in front of her. Tigress let one eye open just barely to see the panda.

"Guidance," she whispered. Oogway had already given her some, but she needed direction without riddles to solve. She had been able to figure out that she needed to control her anger, no matter how righteous or just it was. Po nodded again, but this time, solemnly.

"Hey, I'm sure you'll get it. You're a leader, a good one too."

The panda's words comforted her. Maybe she was going in the right direction. The fire crackled and the river burbled audibly as silence once again. A slight scraping sound came from were Crane stood, practicing his calligraphy in the dirt. Sleep came to them like a ghost, because they were soon asleep. The snores of Po drifted over to where Tigress sat, still awake. Her mind furiously tried to figure out what Oogway had been trying to say. Do what _is_ right, not what _feels_ right. What was that supposed to mean? The part about the anger clouded her vision, she knew. Time had allowed her rage to come down to a simmer, allowing her to make better descisions besides running blindly forward. Twice this had allowed them to avoid traps the assassins had set up. But what did Oogway mean by not doing what feel right. She had her emotions under control, there was no doubt. It was right to avenge Shifu, wasn't it? It both felt right and was right, everybody agreed with her. Could Oogway have been speaking of past that? Could something in her future come up that Oogway was warning her about? A sense of peace settled over Tigress. She had found the answer, at least what the tortoise was warning her about. But what would come up that would require her to make that descision. As sleep finally over took her, she looked up at the stars. Three shooting stars lanced across the black sky.

* * *

><p>Tigress felt hot. This was the temperature she had felt when she had fallen asleep. And why was she lying down? She had been sitting up when she fell asleep. Lazily, she opened one eye. There was red soil on the ground. She bolted upright. Around her, volcanoes towered above her. One started erupting. She sprinted for higher ground near the next volcano. This one didn't feel warm.<p>

_Dormant_, she thought.

The caldera of the volcano was lifeless. Obsidian shards mingled with the red soil of the volcano. Streaks of brown also interlaced themselves with the red and black. Behind her, volcanoes continued for a while and she was unable to see the end. She looked forward and saw mountains with vegetation creeping up the base of the mountains, but stopping short at an imaginary line. A large sea of color – what appeared to be a forest – dominated the areas past the mountains. Rivers, big and small, spiderwebbed amongst the trees. A massive mountain, its summit hidden by clouds, lay in the center of the entire place. She kept calm. No longer was she in China it seemed. There was no Furious Five and Po sleeping at the camp. The fire was no longer there. Another volcano roared to life behind her. The roar seemed like a roar of a beast, not a volcano though. Tigress cleared her mind and sat herself on the rich soil. She emptied her mind and began to meditate. A thunderous voice interrupted her.

"Greetings, Tigress!"

A streak of red and yellow began to snake its way across the sky. It wrapped its massive body around the volcano, allowing its head to reach over the top of the summit and rest it on the edge. A dragon. She stood erect and bowed low.

"Greetings, sir," she replied as respectfully as she could.

"I heard you needed guidance, youngling."

"I do. Where am I supposed to go?"

"Follow the path you are on, do not falter, it will lead you to who you are looking for."

"But I'm not looking for a who! I'm looking for direction on what to do! These assassins are trickier than I thought. I want to lead my friends in the right direction."

"Listen, cub." Tigress bristled at the word _cub_. She wasn't a cub by any means. "I promise you, if my name isn't Xiaofang, that you are looking for a who. He will help."

Whatever the dragon, Xiaofang, was trying to say, she needed to know directly. No more riddles.

"Out of riddles, please!"

Tigress almost yelled the statement. Too much of her life had been in doubt and in shadows. She wanted the direct answer! The dragon's fierce eyes seemed to be set on fire as Xiaofang thrust his head just inches away from Tigress.

"When you meet with one with the crooked tail, you will know!"

His voice shook the ground and it hurt her head.

"I wish you luck and may wisdom guide your discisions," said Xiaofang, a bit softer than before. A blinding light flashed in front of Tigress as the supposedly dormant volcano erupted with tremendous force.

* * *

><p>She woke up sweating. The sun had yet to rise and the camp was still peaceful. Her heart beat hard and her breathing was heavy. The river called out to her, tempting her to refresh herself in its cool grasp. She did so. Tigress stripped off her clothes and hung them on the tree. The chillness of the dawn air touched her bare body. Taking a running start, she dove head first in the river. Immediately, the rush of the river began to pull her downstream, but she swang against the strong current. The water seemed to wipe away her fears and replaced them with determination. The dragon of fire had said to follow her path but look out for whoever was named Tai. The chances of meeting that animal were slim in China. It was a massive area and they had yet to travel all of it. It could be years before she met this animal with a crooked tailf. A sudden surge set her further downstream. She let herself submerge completely and swam upstream. She could feel her muscles strain, defying the river. Her lungs began to beg for air. Tigress went up for air. Again, she dove down, fighting the river, letting herself be challenged by nature. How long she swam, she didn't know, but it was invigorating.<p>

The sky had turned yellow and red as the sun rose. The coolness of the night had begun to be replaced by the warmth of the day. She climbed out of the river, her fur sopping wet, yet her spirit lifted. She stood there, naked on the rivers edge, and grapped the large leaves of the fern that grew beside the banks of the river. The rough surface of the leaves scratched a bit, but she welcomed it as the leaves collected the water. Po's voice rang out and she heard the crunch of the underbrush as the panda began making his way to her.

"Tigress! Where are you? Breakfast is ready!"

Tigress frantically reached for her clothes to cover herself. Too late, Po began to turn the corner.

"Po, I'm undressed!" she said tersly, slightly embarrassed.

Po did an about-face.

"I didn't see anything," he said immediately. Seconds later, a slightly damp tiger came from around the tree.

"Thank you. And Po, stop blushing."

Po's normally white cheeks had taken on a red coloring. He was thankful he hadn't stumbled apon Master Tigress undressed. That would've been hazardous to his health, particularly if he wanted to live.

The fire had been doused and the other four had already eaten. An apple and whatever leftover dumplings they had were passed to Tigress. She ate them hungrily.

"Where were you?" asked Viper.

"I took a dip in the stream," replied Tigress. "I just felt a bit mucky from the running."

"Well, I hope it was worth it, 'cause that's what we're going to be doing today!" said Mantis as dry as ever. "Can't wait."

"Fully agree with you, buddy," said Po.

"Get used to it. We are doing it again," said Tigress, finishing off the dumpling.

The Master of the Tiger style got up and started following the trail yet again. The rest followed her, with slight hesitation from Po, not relishing the prospect of running again. An image of the crooked tailed animal imprinted itself on Tigress's mind. What were they going to look like? Po ran along side her, his mind churning also. It seemed to consistently place itself in his mind, that one idea; the idea that he wasn't meant for Tigress, as in a romantic relationship. Maybe he was just denying the truth and that idea was the truth? He kept his head down, he watched as his feet became a blur as they picked up speed. The steady beat of Crane's wings came from the left and the rattle of Viper's body was at his right. On they went, to bring justice to those who had killed Shifu.

* * *

><p>The assassins looked at the village before them. They had more than a full day's lead on the kung fu Masters yet they needed more time. This chase had gone on for a while now and they needed to start circling around again.<p>

The village had been built hastily in the plains, eagerly awaiting the trade routes that were planned to pass through the area. They never came and the citizens there couldn't move, they were too poor and had invested heavily in the village that was to be a city. The inhabitants became disregarded by the respectful travelers and have become the home of the numerous gangs and bandits that plagued China. The village wasn't a nice village to look at. Dingy shops and huts were sprawled out with no particular order. The streets had beggars crying out for food and shelter, or just a coin to help them through the day. Children ran around in dirty rags and adults were hardworking and short-tempered. A particular nasty gang was here at the time and that was exactly what they wanted. Making their way through the crowds, occasionally having to threaten a few to move, they found themselves in a dimly lit tavern. Smoke permeated the air and the smell of ash and alcohol barely overpowered the body odor. A band added to the clamor of drunken men laughing and yelling and singing the saloon songs.

_Why do men like bars?_ Wu thought. _There is little good about these places besides finding mercs._

Hsuh and Wu sat down together at an isolated booth while Kwan went to go get drinks. The large crocodile came back with three mugs in his hand. He set them down, one for each of them, then, he was able to wedge himself inbetween the table and the seat. They toasted to nothing and took a swig of their drinks. Wu almost sputtered at the strong alcohol. Kwan just took another draft.

"That's a good drink!" he exclaimed. Other than killing, Kwan loved alcohol. He prided himself in being able to list almost every single alcoholic beverage and name them by taste. "I've got to get the name."

Hsuh coughed once before taking another drink.

"Not as good as the one we had in Tachao, but close enough."

"Suit yourself," said Kwan, shrugging.

Wu couldn't stand the drink. She preferred the wines of Mengyou City. When the wolves' were finished, she would move there. Ale and beers, whiskeys and rums, grogs and moonshine were just a waste of time. Wines were an art and they tasted splendidly. She had only tasted a few mixes of drinks in a black market bar that she had liked rum, but other than that, wine was her favorite drink. A drunken boar staggered over to the chair and vomited all over the fox's lap. He gave her a dumb look.

"Sorry, ma'am."

Wu looked at Kwan and Hsuh, pure indignation plastered on her face. Hsuh stifled a laugh and Kwan grinned, showing all his teeth.

"Can I kill him?"

Kwan shrugged again.

"Whatever you like, just don't get caught."

"Like I would get caught by these jackasses."

Wu got up and followed the boar to his seat. She noted where he sat and moved to the lavatories – well, what they called lavatories. She cleaned her pants up as well as she could, she would need to get new ones. Stepping out the door, she eased a leaf of herb from the inside of her pants. She started to crush the leaf in her paws. The poison was one of the fastest acting in China, yet it killed agonizingly slow. Wu couldn't wait to watch the boar die. Perhaps her actions were a bit uncalled for, some might say overdramatic, but she didn't care. She spotted Kwan and Hsuh talking to a leopard. Good, she would get her revenge and they would leave with a trap set for their hunters. The boar took a large gulp of his drink and set it down. She noted how the mug moved a bit, liquid still was in there. She sat next to him and accidentally bumped into him. He turned around.

"Whachit, yew clumsy shon of a…oooh. You're cute."

Wu forced herself to blush. She moved her paws to the drink. The leopard who was talking to Kwan and Hsuh seemed doubtful. Maybe this would convince him to help them, after they showed their prowess. She started to idly chitchat with the boar. The boar couldn't move his face from hers. Perfect. She let the crushed leaves fall into the beer. She got up to move, pushing away the hoof of the boar away. Hastily, she grabbed a passing maid and shoved her into the boar's arms. The boar clearly was disappointed and took a drink from his mug. Wu started counting. Through the crowd, the fox made her way back to the seat. The leopard looked at Wu.

"What else would make me accept your assignment?"

Wu threw a bag of gold onto the table, adding in with Kwan's and Hsuh. They were all counterfeit, but nobody really took notice, the Empire was dumb enough to accept them anyways.

"You are paying around one hundred gold pieces just for us to halt these people who follow you? Why not just kill them?"

Kwan glanced at Wu.

"We are not at liberty to tell you why," the crocodile said, his voice had the slightest bit of menace to it.

The leopard took notice of the tone and avoided further questioning. Gold was gold, no matter how you got it. Before he could reply, a shout went up from the patrons inside the tavern. A barstool was knocked over and it clattered to the floor. Wu smiled. She had reached the number one hundred and eighty; the poison was taking its toll on the boar's body. The leopard leaned out to see the spectacle. He saw the boar on the ground, writhing in agony, his mouth was foaming and his eyes were bloodshot. It looked like he was having a seizure, but the boar uttered cries of pain. Foul play was definitely involved. The fox unsheathed her claws and began to inspect them.

"You see, we are perfectly capable of killing others, but we need someone to slow them down so we can make their tracking a bit harder."

The leopard looked back at the trio.

"You killed him? Why?"

The leopard stole one last glance at the boar. Sores covered his body and the skin had begun to break open and crack. He shuddered. He had seen many gory sights in his life, but they had been in battle. Not one of just pure, cold-blooded murder.

"He puked on my lap. I don't like it when people humiliate me."

The leopard mercenary was silent, pondering on whether or not to take the gold now. These animals were running away from people and were willing to pay handsomely for someone to just slow their pursuers. That was enough to have any mercenary take the job. But they had just displayed that they would kill for something as petty as _this_ and they weren't at liberty to tell why they wouldn't just kill the followers outright, even if they showed they could. People like this were usually tied with other's even more powerful than they. Still, the gold looked tempting. They didn't have to kill, just slow whoever down. The leopard grabbed for the money. Hsuh pushed them away from his grasp.

"You will do the job or we will find you and kill you. Understand?"

The leopard sneered at the rabbit. The boar had spotted thrashing about on the floor and the tavern went back to his usual hum of conversation. An unfortunate maid cleared the grotesque body from the tavern. The rabbit held his gaze with steely eyes.

"I understand," the leopard spat out.

Wu let the leopard take the gold.

"Halt them near the Nameless Pass. We plan to start to circle around after that and head back to the Valley of Peace. Just slow them there and then you may flee to wherever you want. No need to give us proof of your success. But – and trust me when I tell you this – if you don't do the job, we will know and your days will be numbered."

The leopard nodded gravely. Now he truly understood and there was no way he was going to cross the paths of these three again, not even with his full gang. With a curt bow, he exited the bar, leaving the three assassins to themselves.

"I'd say this was a pretty good day, what do you think boys?" Wu said.

"Yep, we got the gang and we killed a pig. What more could we want?"

Wu glared at the sarcastic crocodile. Hsuh started tapping his large feet nervously. He didn't want to be the poor suckers when they ran into a group of six enraged kung fu Masters and try to stop them. One detail they forgot to mention to the leopard.

* * *

><p>The six kung fu Masters looked out across the plain. Even with the scarce light that came from the sinking sun, they could make out the silhouette of the village that lay somewhere in the plains ahead of them. The forest had ended abruptly and a long, narrow plain filled with grass stretched as a barrier between the mountains that sat before them. The tracks they were following had stopped zigzagging and had begun to travel straighter. The imprints of the crocodile were the easiest to follow, because the claws on his feet dug furrows into the ground. A rabbit's footprint was visible here and there, while the fox's was so light, they could barely see it sometimes. On they ran, keeping the same pace even with the half moon spying down on them. The village was their destination, the tracks led to it. Tigress saw the tired faces of her friends. She felt the need to keep going, but knew in her heart that she couldn't force her friends to continue. Po's brow was damp with sweat, yet he continued doggedly on. Tigress knew she had the best of friends. The beat of Crane's wings had slowly become less rapid and the avian had glided as much as he could. Mantis just rested on Monkey's shoulder, the little bug working the hardest to keep up with Tigress's breakneck pace.<p>

"We'll stop there," said Tigress, trying to reassure them. Po gave her a hurried thumbs up.

"Thank the Heavens," said Monkey. Mantis just groaned.

The village got closer and closer with every step they took and finally, they reached the dark streets. Lanterns were scant and the darkness greedily tried to engulf the light. A particularly brightly lit inn caught their attention.

"It seems the safest," said Po. "And as long as they have dumplings and a bed, I'm fine!"

Nobody argued with that logic. They paid a coin and took the room the hosts provided. It was a bit cramped but they fit anyways. Sleep was upon them as soon as each of their heads hit the thin pillows.

Morning seemed to come to fast. Unenthusiastically, they got up and went down for breakfast. A small bowl of rice and a bean bun were served but it would suffice.

"How much longer, Tigress? We've been away for at a long time, just chasing them, always chasing them!"

Po wiped some of the rice that stuck to his lips.

"I think we just go until we bring justice on 'em. We don't quit! Souls of platinum!"

Tigress smiled as Po said the same thing he had said on the boat to Gongmen City.

"Yes, but even platinum tarnishes," pointed out Crane.

Po's shoulders dropped. He tried to think of a comeback. None came.

"True," he said slowly.

"Listen, I don't want to burden you, so if you want to go back, you won't offend me. I understand," Tigress said, finally answering Viper.

Viper locked eyes with Tigress.

"I will go as long as you go, but I am worried about the Valley."

"I am not worried, they are a peaceful people. I have faith in them."

"Then we continue," said Po. "That's were I'm going. My fists hunger to bring on the thunder!"

Tigress exhaled loudly and got up. As one, the rest followed her out the door.

"Before we go, let's see if we can get any more information on them," Mantis suggested. "It might help."

Tigress shook her head.

"It could also slow us down. Let's just follow the tracks. If we get into a tough spot, then we will ask for help, but right now we don't need it."

Again, the Masters continued forward like an unstoppable storm. The mountain's loomed ahead of them, getting closer every day and night they traveled. They lost the tracks once when the assassins had taken a boat down a thin stream. They relaxed their feet on the boat ride until Tigress spotted the set of footprints. A new set of footprints crossed the path of the tracks of the assassins at one time. They were older and more numerous. The new set were parallel to their quarries tracks for a time, then headed right later.  
>Tigress halted at Nameless Pass. The mountains seemed to inch closer to her. The ground ahead was rocky and the trail was harder to follow. The trail had gone cold a few times, but a green, dry scale from the crocodile led them in the right direction. Ledges rose above them and massive rocks were placed randomly alongside, sometimes in the middle, of the path that wound through the mountains. Tigress's shadow stretched out in front of her. The rocks cast large dark spots over the normally lit rock, cooling it down, stopping the sun from beating down on them. The mountains were quiet, it was almost unnerving. Even the sound of their feet seemed to be drowned out by the silence. Something was wrong. Tigress slowed and she sniffed the air. An unrecognizable scent seemed to have drifted from ahead of them. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she heard the all too familiar clank of steel hitting steel and the sound of bowstrings being pulled taut. They had been surrounded by archers, each of them aiming at one of them. They wore masks that hid their faces. They were garbed in green and grey tunics with brown pants. A leopard bounded down from a thin archway above them. He sauntered over. <em>These<em> were their clients followers. They didn't look too fierce. Besides the tiger. Still, something nagged at him. He had seen these six before. Where?

"Sorry fellas, can't let you go further."

"A grave mistake," snarled Tigress.

"Careful, Tigress," warned Viper.

Po looked around, slightly nervous. He remembered the wolf archers from Shen's army. He didn't like them. What were they going to do?

"Yes, listen to the snake, tiger. Careful," mocked the leopard. He started to toy with his knife that he had casually pulled from its sheath. Tigress's eyes followed the leopard. She twitched her fingers slightly. Nobody but the Masters saw the movement. Crane suddenly shot up and flapped his wings mightily. A whirlwind of air came rushing into the Pass, confusing the archers. The kung fu Masters sprang into action. Po clambered up the ledges to face the enemy archers. A certain ox recovered quickly and jabbed at Po. Po moved to the right and slammed his paw down on the blade, letting it sink into the ground. The blow numbed the ox's hoof and he stared at it blankly. Po grabbed hold of the arm and ran up the ox's leg, delivering two swift blows to the side of its head. As he landed, he let himself go all the way to the ground as another blade, aimed at his head, was stabbed forward. Po did a roundhouse kick to the assailant's feet, knocking him over. He bounced up and smashed him underneath his astounding weight of his rear end. He continued forward to knock out the unfortunate archer who watched with astonishment. Po looked over his shoulder to see the rest of his friends making quick work of the remaining group. Tigress was battling one on one with the leader, who knew more than he appeared to know about fighting.

As soon as Crane had shot up, the leopard had immediately lunged at Tigress, ignoring his orders. Tigress saw it and crouched to block the attack. She swung a powerful punch at the leopard, forcing him to go on the defensive. The leopard grabbed hold of her paw and used it stop his momentum forward. Still clinging on, he slid underneath Tigress, trying to make her loose her balance. Tigress hopped up and landed heavily on the leopards shins. The leopard roared loudly and tried to rain blows upon her midsection. Tigress blocked each one with precision years of training gave her. Tigress kicked at the leopard's head. He lifted his head and brought his right arm around Tigress's leg. He used his free hand to push at her sternum and pulled the opposite direction with his right arm. Tigress fell backwards as she lost her footing to the move. She twisted as fast as she could so that she could place her paws out to catch herself. The leopard kicked upward as he got himself erect. Tigress felt the stunning blow hit her stomach. Air whooshed out of her mouth, but she immediately got her breath back. She flipped back over to land a kick to his head. The leopard deflected it easily but had let his guard down near his feet. Tigress bent downwards and struck out with the palm at the leopard's ankle. She heard bone crack and the leopard shrieked in pain. He collapsed, massaging his ankle. Tigress got on top of him, forcing him to the ground. She sensed Po behind her. Tigress wrapped a strong paw around his neck. Tears of pain flowed from the leopard's eye. He spat in Tigress's face. The assassins had duped him into fighting the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior. Whatever they had done to retrieve these Master's wrath was beyond him. He hoped they burned in Hell. But if he told were his employers had gone, they would find him and kill him, like they promised. He had no doubts that they would.

"Why did you try and stop us?" growled Tigress.

The leopard laughed.

"Like I'm going to tell you who hired us," replied the leopard. He cursed himself as soon as the words left his mouth. He just gave away that they had been hired and his life was now on the line.

"By who?"

The leopard just glowered at her, he wouldn't slip again.

Tigress moved her body so that her knee rested on his throat and applied a bit of pressure. The leopard's eyes bulged out. Ignoring the gurgle that came from the feline, Tigress grasped his right hand and placed a claw on the vein and another on the tip of the hand. She slowly began to twist.

"Just one quick movement and your wrist will be broken. After that, your next wrist could be broken as well. Do you know how many bones are in your body? No. Then, please, tell me who hired you."

The leopard wimpered as Tigress twisted his wrist. He noticed the vengenace that glittered in her eyes. He was sure they would catch them and kill them. Besides, the assassins had said to just slow them down, nothing more. So, the leopard told the entire story. He had been duped by them. As he finished, he felt suddenly triumphant. His quarrel was with the assassins now, not these six. He smiled, blood dripping down from his face were he had been hit, yes, these Masters were going to tear them apart for whatever they did.

No sooner had the last word left his mouth and the smile had suddenly appeared, Tigress knocked him out with a quick blow to the skull. She let the leopards arm fall limply to the ground and the head lulled sideways. The leopard was still breathing, shallowly. Tigress didn't want to kill him, he wasn't her enemy right now. She got up and dusted herself off. The tiger looked at the faces of her friends.

"We are going to be headed that way. They were hired to stop us, but not kill us."

"Uh, does that me we should be worried?" asked Mantis.

"No, it just means that we need to move faster."

Po groaned and started forward before any of them could.

"Let's just start already! Can't wait till it ends!"

The Furious Five and Dragon Warrior continued on along the base of the mountain, in the direction the leopard had told them the assassins were heading. The tracks suddenly took a sharp turn back in the direction of the forest at a narrow in the mountains were a shallow lake met another smaller lake. Days passed and all Tigress could think was: _When _will_ it end?_


	15. Candle in the Dark

A/N: Hello, I'm updating again. I hope that my chapters I have uploaded (being chapter 14 and this current one) are satisfactory. If they are not, please feel free to yell, criticize, etc. me. Leave in the reviews or PM me. If, in the chance, that you are satisfied by these chapters (and maybe my entire story) please leave a review or anything you feel necessary. Thanks for reading. I know that I am not using the original Kung Fu Panda characters that much, please don't worry, I plan on bringing them in a lot more in future chapters and throughout the entire sequel. Thanks for reading! Hope I didn't tick anyone off when I killed Shifu...

On that note, enjoy!

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><p>Sun was shoved roughly into the tent. As the female tiger lay on the ground, blood dripping from her mouth, she was chained up.<p>

"Hey," growled one of the guards. "Hear that Canku is allowing the chains to be longer? Guess Xisong being pregnant has made them a bit soft, hah."

"Nah, I think its part of their whole, psychological thing. Whatever that is."

"I think its working on you!"

Kun listened quietly as his wife was being cuffed yet again. Two weeks had passed since the attack on the mountain village. They still wouldn't give into what the wolves' wanted - for them to bow before them. So the torturing had continued. Kun had received some of the more harsh ones, but Sun had received the most. Day after day, she was tortured. They were very picky about the ones they chose. The most pain inflicted without worry of killing Sun. Both tigers felt terrible throughout the day. The only time they felt a little bit happy was talking to their new ally, Aleksey. The northern snow fox had given them something to look forward to and was becoming an anchor for them, someone from the real world, a person to help them through their pain besides themselves. As soon as the guards left, Kun limped over to Sun limp body. He lay next to her and lifted her head up slowly.

"What now?" he whispered. Sun moved closer to Kun, letting the warmth of his still strong body seep into her. She shuddered a bit. The snow fox looked at Sun.

"Open your mouth, comrade," he said.

Sun weakly obeyed. Kun and Aleksey peered into the dark mouth. Aleksey cursed. All along the roof of her mouth and her tough, thin incisions had been made. The tearing told him that his hadn't been quickly. No, they had pulled the blade slowly, agonizingly slow. Her forehead was damp. Water torture as well; the steady dripping of the water would drive anyone crazy, regardless of their training. Kun pulled Sun even closer. He kissed the top of her head lovingly. Sun shoved her head into his chest. Her eyes were half closed and she kneaded Kun's fur with her paws, trying to show her affection with her fading strength. Aleksey crossed over the dark tent to his designated sleeping area. He reached in a pulled out two leaves. He tapped on Sun's shoulder. Looking at Aleksey, the pain still showing in her eyes, she stared at Aleksey. The tough foxes' heart crumbled. These two had done nothing and now they were suffering. Silently, he vowed he would help them escape.

"Put these in your wife's mouth, comrade," said Aleksey. "These will sooth her mouth and let her fall into a dreamless sleep. Something I fear she has a lack of."

Gingerly placing the two herbs in Sun's mouth, Kun laid her on the cold ground. Taking off the thin cloak they had supplied them with, he draped it over her body. The now bare-chested tiger sat at her side, refusing to move, caressing her body tenderly. Sun was the only thing he had left. Tai was dead, killed by those two monsters. He wouldn't loose her.

"What am I to do, Aleksey," said Kun, despair filled his voice. "Nothing I do or can do will help us."

"But I can," replied the snow fox mysteriously. The fox dropped his voice to whisper. "Today, comrade, I promised myself that I _will_ help you and your wife escape. I had been collecting things you needed during the fight at the mountain town." Aleksey gulped visibly. He hated the memories that still lingered in his mind. He pressed on. "I have a lock pick and a small broken blade that can help you escape. I don't know how I was able to do this without being noticed, but I have a few clothes for you to wear, as the cold will get to you. A single knife is yours too."

Kun's ears lifted.

"When do we go?"

"Tonight would be the best night. It would be instant and they wouldn't know about it."

The beech marten edged over, his gloomy voice cutting in.

"I doubt you will be able to escape, but I can help you with the terrain around us."

Aleksey looked at Timoteo in shock.

"When have you ever wanted to help someone?

The bags under Timoteo's eyes could be seen as he moved closer. The marten looked even more bedraggled and gloomy than before.

"When have you ever questioned help?"

Aleksey smiled grimly,

"Lots of times. But I suppose your help, good or bad, can provide some chance for their escape."

"And why don't we escape with them?"

Aleksey looked into his eyes. He then looked at Kun. Kun nodded,

"There is strength in numbers yet numbers can be detected easier. Your choice, you can come or stay…..comrade."

Aleksey's grim smile turned into a sincere smile at the Tiger Lord's use of his term for friend.

"Haha, so we all go then. Let's get started then. First off, we need to get out of these chains…"

Night fell and the stars danced with the moon all along its steady course. As the moon crept to its zenith, the fires of the wolves' camp dimmed. Embers were left and the snores of soldiers could be heard far and wide. The two guards at the prisoner tent heard nothing but a faint wheezing. One of them slumped forward, dosing off. The other just stared at the ground in front of him. These past weeks had been uneventful, nothing but marching day and night. He needed sometime to rest and now was the time. He closed his eyes and followed suite with the other guard. If he had stayed awake a minute longer, he would have heard the clank of chains being dropped to the group and the yawn of the prisoners waking up. The cuff slipped from Sun's paw. She smiled fondly at the snow fox. Kun was flexing his claws and tossed the knife from paw to paw. The gloomy beech marten sulked at the back of the tent, waiting to be off. At last, the final bond from Sun's foot paw was loosened and she was free. She gave Aleksey and quick hug. Aleksey pushed her off playfully.

"Go and give your husband that, I'm in no need of a hug," he said.

Sun looked at her husband.

"I do hope this works," she whispered. Kun brushed the fur on Sun's head affectionately. He kissed her.

"It will," he whispered back.

"Get back to your sleep areas," hissed Aleksey, "The guards are going to check in with us."

A tent flap swung open. The bear looked around suspiciously. Nobody moved, each pantomiming sleeping. His massive head disappeared. A low grumble could be heard as he told his replacement guard they were still there. A salute was given and he lumbered off. The new guard was still a bit woozy from walking up; this was the perfect time to go.

"Out the back," said Aleksey, as loud as he dared.

Kun took hold of Sun's arm and they went wiggled out the back between the tight opening. Timoteo went next. As he left his sleeping area, he seemed to tug on something, but stopped. He shook his head and then struggled to get out. Kun had to pull him through. Aleksey went last and made it with no problems.

"To where now?" he asked.

"Where do you want to go? The best place to get out is that way," said Timoteo, a claw pointing to the far edge of the army. "If we climb up there, we won't be seen."

Aleksey nodded,

"After that, Kun and Sun, I hope you know where you're going, otherwise, comrades, we will be lost and as good as dead."

Kun nodded grimly and took Sun's paw.

"Up we go."

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><p>Canku lay awake in his bed. He stared at the bell that hung so low to ground. The ringer had a string attached to it. It moved slightly, then, with more purpose. Just as suddenly as it had begun to move, it stopped and rested back to its original position. He grinned. He had been waiting for this for a while. He shook Xisong.<p>

"The prisoners are escaping and our spy has decided to go with them."

Xisong bolted upright.

"We need to catch them," she said urgently. Canku nodded and bounded out of their tent. Xisong was bit slower, her bump now a bit more noticeable. The commotion caused the outside guard to shout with surprise.

"Call out the order! The archers around the camp, if they should see the prisoners escaping, should shoot to injure, not kill. Understood!"

The wolf nodded and drew back his head. He filled his lungs with air and out came a long howl. Other howls and yips came back from around the camp. The archers were at the ready. Anything that dared try to escape would be in their grasps. Canku grabbed his sword and started walking among the wide circle of archers. Xisong followed behind with a spear. Each one nodded at their presence, yet kept their heads turn forward to look for the escapees. Finally, a loud yowl ululating call from an archer not far ahead reached Canku's ears. He rushed forward and soon came to the the female leopard who had called out the alarm. She fired an arrow into an area below her and a shriek of pain followed. The boar archer beside her turned and fired as well. A growl was heard and a loud, gruff curse echoed from the canyon. Canku ran to the scene and leapt down. Sun had an arrow sprouting from her thigh and Aleksey had an arrow embedded in his shoulder. The archers aimed at Kun, ready for anything. The beech marten trembled behind the massive tiger. Canku's cold stare tried to pierce Kun's own. He failed. Averting his eyes, he looked at the beech marten.

"You know what I don't like?" he asked, almost rhetorically, slowly walking forward to reach the marten and the tiger. The archers and soldiers that had gathered were unsure if they should answer or not. Canku's face turned sour when he didn't get a response. "Fine, I will tell you then. I hate it when animals go back on their word or they desert you." Canku brought his paws together, and let his two index fingers extend and touch while the rest intertwined and folded together. He tapped his claws on his chin, looking like he was in deep thought. "Tell me, what is the punishment for that? Can one of you refresh my memory, please?" Canku looked out among his soldiers, his face looking as if a teacher was requesting an answer from his students. A heavyset ox rose his arm.

"Yes, you?" asked Canku. Xisong caught up and was at her mate's side.

"Ya kill 'em," said the ox, his face had a dumb grin on it like he had just answered a particularly tricky riddle.

Canku's growled and bent down. The marten scrambled out from behind Kun and tried to run. The wolf was too fast. He grabbed the beech marten by his scruff and lifted him upwards so that he was eyelevel with the wolf. Timoteo squirmed and wriggled.

"You almost warned me, but didn't. You didn't think I couldn't see that slight little movement. As I said before, I hate animals that go back on their word. You heard the punishment, right, merchant?"

Timoteo nodded his sallow head as much as he could. His paws trying to pry open the firm grip Canku had on his neck. Canku's grip tightened, he was going to choke out the life of this bastard. Kun moved to help the unfortunate beech marten, but Aleksey stopped him.

"Comrade, he was going to betray us. He deserves to die!"

Xisong stepped forward and rested her paw on Canku's arm. The male wolf relaxed his grip just a bit. She ran it up and down his arm. He shivered.

"You know, I have been a bit cold at night. I think I need a nice warm blanket. A blanket with a nice soft fur on it maybe."

Canku grinned devilishly. His mate was good. He turned back to the beech marten.

"I think you have a reprieve of your death."

He dropped Timoteo onto the ground. The marten lay on the dirt, gasping. Canku motioned for Kar to come to him. The snow leopard was at his master's side within the second.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Fetch me one of the long knives."

Kar bowed and ran off to get the knife. Timoteo was finally able to stand up. He bowed awkwardly at Canku.

"Thank you for sparing my life," he said timidly, hoping that the cruel wolf wouldn't change his mind. "I will get the Lady Xisong a beautiful blanket. You can have no doubts."

Kar was back in a flash. He handed Canku the knife but Xisong grabbed it from him. She held it upwards, letting the moonlight glint of the cold steel.

"If you want something done right you have to do it yourself, right?"

The wolf stroked the top of the beech marten's silky fur. Perfect. She threw Timoteo to the ground. She lifted the knife and brought it down toward Timoteo's flesh. She stopped centimeters away from it and looked at the onlookers.

"I've heard rumors about me going soft. I'm going to extinguish all of those, _right now_!"

She bent down and whispered into the terrified marten's ear.

"You know how I wanted the fur blanket? Well, you _are_ going to give it to me; only, you won't give it to me personally. I guess you could call this _very personal gift_."

Xisong pushed the knife into the marten's skin. She suddenly turned it horizontal, about a quarter of an inch beneath the skin and fur. Then, to the horrified soldiers, she brought it back, peeling away the skin and fur. Timoteo shrieked in agony as the knife cut through him like butter. Blood began to pump from his veins and it spurted everywhere. The wolf still continued on her grisly work. Working like a tanner, she skinned the beech marten alive. Each knife cut dug a quarter of an inch in and the incision was meticulously straight. The blood red knife followed the marten's thin figure. All throughout it, Timoteo writhed in agony, unable to escape the agony that wracked his body. His chest was now completely bare of fur and skin. Muscle showed beneath it. He bucked and heaved; blood pouring from the numerous open vessels. Finally, after a finally scream, he died. Still, Xisong continued on, wanting her new blanket. After thirty minutes, every square inch of Timoteo was skinned. The fur in a bloody pile sat to her left. Her work finished, she pushed the skinless corpse from underneath her and stood up. The knife clattered to the ground. She kicked the carcass into the stunned soldiers midst.

"Do you think I am turning soft?"

As one, they all shook their head. Some of them couldn't remove their stares from the ghastly body.

Canku moved to his mate's side. He too had watched the execution. Only with a twisted sense of fascination. He spoke up,

"Is there anyone who is good with needle and thread? Like a seamstress of some sort."

A few hands rose up. Canku pointed them out and had them come forward.

"Use this and make a blanket," he commanded. They bowed low. Gingerly picking up Timoteo's remains, they carted it away to begin making the blanket. Canku turned around. Sun had her eyes closed. Throughout Timoteo's skinning, they had been bound in heavy irons to keep them from escaping. Sun was shuddering still from the sounds of the first scream and had her eyes closed. Aleksey had watched the entire thing, happy that the bastard was dead. Kun averted his eyes, not wanting to see such brutality. Canku kicked Kun.

"Back to your tent and this time, cages around the lot of you!"

The new guards escorted the three remaining prisoners to the tent and erected a makeshift cage around the three. This confined them from touching each other or from getting too close to each other. The wolf guard snickered.

"Maybe if you behave we'll let you two tigers sit next to each other."

Sun hugged herself, unable to receive any comfort from Kun.

"What will they do to us?" she whispered, fear lacing her words.

Aleksey growled.

"If that damn marten hadn't done that, we would have been off! Now we are here, comrades! The punishment for our attempted escape will be terrible."

Sun whimpered. Kun brought his face close to the end of his cage. His nose stuck out a bit and his chained paws clung to the grating.

"They won't kill you, Sun! Remember that, they still want us to bow before them in front of all China! Be strong, think of Tai. Be strong for him."

Sun looked up at Kun. The conquered ruler of Mengyou City still had a way with words and they brought hope to her. She nodded, words unneeded.

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><p>The three of them stood their, unsure of what to do next. The porcupine continued to move forward. How could they in danger from one creature? The porcupine was clearly older than all of them, so old that when it walked, some of her quills fell out. She lifted the knife up a bit and headed for Tai. The tiger panicked. He couldn't fight! Shang and Mei were the only ones who actually could kill and do something! He just couldn't bring himself to do that. The porcupine passed him. In fact, she passed each one of the felines. She went into the hallway and opened up the bags that they had left there so they could fight without the extra weight. Sniffing the air, she took out a handful of vegetables and walked back over to the soup.<p>

"Are you hungry or what?" she demanded. The three were still in shock. She slapped each one. They rubbed their cheeks. "Are you hungry?"

Tai nodded absently.

"Who are you?" asked Shang.

The porcupine shook her behind as she cooked and hummed a little ditty.

"What's that?"

"What is your name?" asked Shang, slightly irritated.

"You can call me Wi," she said airily. "I just wonder out around here. I know every which way and nook and cranny!"

Tai blinked once. A guide that Senlin-Mu had promised.

"Why are you here?" he asked, hoping that he would get the answer he expected from a guide sent by the Wood Dragon.

Wi cut the carrots and threw them into the soup before answering the question.

"I don't know, to be honest. It just seemed like a voice told me to go."

Tai smiled. This was the guide that would lead them through the mountains and to the Valley of Peace. He put his bow away. Mei sheathed her knife and Shang reluctantly put his away too as he saw Tai do the same.

"Why don't you grab a seat and I'll dish you three some warm travelers soup. It's going to be much better this time because of the extra vegetables you, um, gave me."

The soup was hot and it warmed their tummies. It might not have been the best, but it served its purpose.

"You know a lot about this area?" asked Mei, trying to start conversation with the newfound acquaintance.

Wi slurped up her soup with surprising speed.

"Yep, I also know the surrounding areas following these Zuzhou Mountains. A forest here and there, rolling plains and then the Valley of Peace. I can get you there if that's what you want. I actually was thinking about heading there myself."

Tai sent a thank you to Senlin-Mu.

_You're welcome_.

Tai hadn't thought of the Dragon replying, but he did. The voice calmed Tai like before.

Shang leaned forward.

"How can we trust you?"

"You can't," said Wi matter-of-factly. "But I think your friends do. I think I have answered a fair amount of questions. May I ask a few?"

"Fire away," said Mei.

"The best one to ask right now is: Why are you here?"

"We're going to warn the Valley of Peace about an army that is advancing on them this instant!" said Shang. "It's rather important."

"I believe you," said Wi, unperturbed by the disturbing news. "I'll getchya there, no problems."

Silence followed. They sat there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Mei fiddled with her spoon. She looked at Shang. It had been awhile since they had been able to really be alone together. She got up and placed her paws on Shang's shoulders.

"Shang, could you follow me?" she asked.

Shang looked stunned.

"What?"

"We really haven't had that much time together," she said. Shang nodded. He took hold of one of Mei's paws and kissed it.

"I think its time for an impromptu date? What do you say? Sit at the steps and look at the snow?"

Mei nodded. That was good. The two of them left, arms interlocking. They made their way back to the entrance of the Shaoshang temple. They sat on the first step and looked into the snow covered landscape. Even with the bitter cold nipping at their bones, they felt warmth in the presence of each other. Mei let her head rest on Shang's shoulder and she closed her eyes, letting the silence speak for her. How lucky she was to have found someone that she could possibly be with forever. A bond had been formed and it grew stronger every day. Childish thoughts of marriage floated around her mind. The expression of having butterflies in your stomach could be used here. Shang knew her well and he did a lot to impress her. The ivory knife was the best present anyone had given her. She pulled out the knife and studied it. Shang glanced down to see what Mei's attention had been drawn to.

"You really like that knife?" he asked suddenly.

Mei sat up straight to look Shang directly in the eye.

"Why wouldn't I? It's beautiful and it came from you."

Mei could've sworn that the tough Golden cat blushed.

"It really came from Tai, he helped me buy it. Without him, I would've never been able to afford that."

Tai's name brought silence. They liked him; there was nothing they didn't like about him. Mei felt pity for Tai – she didn't know why. Maybe Shang would know why.

"Do you pity Tai?"

Out of all the interesting questions Mei asked, this was by far the most interesting.

"Pity him? No. I do think that he didn't have as good as a childhood as some. I know he grew up in a palace and was royalty, but he didn't have friends like you and I had. He was stuck alone for awhile and bullied because of his peaceful nature."

"I guess so. What about love?"

"I love you, if that is what you are wondering."

"No, with Tai. You think he will find it? If that is one thing that would help him, it would be love outside his family. We give him friendship but sometimes that isn't enough. Too many times I have seen him turn his face away from us when we are together, pain clear on his face."

There was more silence.

"Let's just hope he does," murmured Shang. Mei leaned back on Shang's shoulder. Shang purred deep in his throat, something he had grown to like doing. They sat there, staring at the snow fall gracefully to the ground in a perfect dance. Once more, they let silence do the talking.

* * *

><p>Wi had watched the two leave with an amazed expression. Tai saw the look of confusion that also was etched on her face.<p>

"Don't worry. It seems to me that romance does the weirdest things."

Wi's eyes twinkled as she looked back at Tai.

"That is does," she murmured. Tai got up and took the bowls to the unused sink. He put them in it. Tai rummaged through the cupboards, seeing what else was in there. A cookbook and a bit more flatware and silverware were all that he could see. Nothing of true use for the journey was here. Wi's quills rustled. Tai looked down at his side. The stout guide stood to his right staring at him intently. She clapped her paws together.

"I think with the two lovebirds there and us being bored, how about a story? I love telling them."

"That is a bit out of the blue," said Tai.

Wi ignored him and pushed him roughly to a chair and sat him in it. She sat in a different chair.

"You want to know a bit about the Valley of Peace, right? Well, how about I give you bit of history on the inhabitants, eh?"

Tai nodded, history was fun to learn.

Wi started a rather incredible yarn. How the Jade Palace was built and the Furious Five formed. Tai didn't know a lot about the Valley of Peace. He only knew the smallest piece of information regarding the Valley. Tai listened intently about interruption. He was fascinated by the Masters as Wi, the master of storytelling, weaved a fantastic tale about each one. Suddenly, her voice dropped to a whisper. Tai leaned in to catch the words that seemed to barely escape her teeth. She talked about a tiger, an orphan from Bao Gu who had been adopted by Shifu and trained. Another tiger? He knew that he wasn't the only tigers, there were plenty in Mengyou City, but he hadn't thought about other tigers outside of his home. He listened even better to the story. Strangely, Wi didn't use pronouns to describe the tiger, she just used, "the tiger." Finally, she finished her story about how the panda – _Po, I believe his name is_ – had defeated Tai Lung and earned his title as the Dragon Warrior. As she finished, Shang and Mei got back.

"You guys just missed a really good story," he exclaimed. Shang's dreamy look at Mei was enough to tell him that Shang wasn't going to really listen.

"How as your outing?" said Wi loudly, unabashed.

"Perfect."

"Good! Now let's get to bed! I'm tired! We start tomorrow morning! Off we go!" Wi gathered her few belongings she had brought with her into an organized pile and slept in front of them.

"I guess we'll sleep in the kitchen then," Tai said, shrugging. Tai watched as Shang and Mei got their bedrolls next to each other. He turned away and laid his own out. He lay down and rested on his bedroll. The snores that came from Wi startled him at first, but he got used to it. Settling down and snuggling beneath the covers, trying to get warm, Tai's mind wandered. What would it be like, meeting the Furious Five and the legendary Dragon Warrior? From what Wi had said, they were friendly enough. His mind wandered to the tiger. Who was he – or she? The personality was very interesting, the exact opposite of his. He mulled over the story. Wi suddenly rolled over, her blue eyes staring into his orange ones.

"I forgot to tell you, I don't remember why, but the tiger's name is Tigress. _She_ is a real character to get to know. Havn't had the fortune to meet her yet."

With that, she rolled back over and fell back asleep.

_What the heck,_ thought Tai. He rubbed his eyes and found himself imagining what the tiger – she – looked like. He snorted. What Kung Fu master would become a lover for a person like him? Besides, the Dragon Warrior was more of a fit for her. He shook his head. Why was he all of a sudden thinking about this?

A single candle still burned brightly, a single flame, standing against the surrounding darkness. The candle seemed to flicker and waver a bit.

"Burn bright," whispered Tai to the lone candle. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he should encourage it. He felt like he was the candle. Alone, in the dark, waiting for words of encouragement and for someone to come along and help him - to show him - where to go. No longer did he want his nickname to be _Mishi_, lost. No, he wanted it to be _found_. The lone candle stopped wavering and it seemed to brighten. Tai smiled and he fell asleep. The lone candle burned all throughout the night, watching over them all.


	16. Monster

A/N: So here I am again with an update. Sorry that I was unable to update for a while, so I give you three new chapters as consolation. Hope you enjoy them. For those of you who like the parts with the original characters in them, fear not, I have a full chapter of them (18 I believe) and they will soon be in the story constantly. Remember, I do not own Kung Fu Panda, just everything else in this story. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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><p>It was like Wi had an internal clock built into her, because just like she promised, they were up and ready to go early the next morning. Even with the rock walls stopping them from seeing the sun within the cave, she knew when to get up. "A habit you build," was all she said when ask how she did it. With the porcupine in the lead, her massive walking stick setting a slight rhythm in the snow, they traveled onwards, now with a purpose and a direction. The snow was no longer a real threat to their journey, already they could see that the porcupine was going to be invaluable. She showed them shortcuts that they would've never guessed where there. Only once did she have to look around, searching for the invisible landmarks that she claimed where there. Nobody else could see what she was searching for. They made incredible progress that day. The mountains from the infamous Zuzhou range were already starting to shrink in size. Vegetation was more abundant and the skies didn't have a chronic grey overture to them. It seemed that their spirits matched their surroundings. They felt joyous almost. Mei was bouncing around, unable to contain her bubbling joy. Wi looked back once and a while to see if they were still keeping up pace.<p>

"We can't _dawdle_," she called back. "Lovely word, dawdle, don't you think?"

"It is interesting," huffed Shang.

Conversation was polite, but they wasn't any full fledged conversations. Phrases and segments of sentences were passed around. Wi started tapping on her stick to occupy herself, yet Shang asked politely if she could stop. She did; then promptly started banging her staff against every rock she saw. There were a lot of rocks. Mei giggled. It was amusing to see Shang annoyed. His ears always started twitching and he licked his teeth more; his tail didn't move at all, it just drug on the ground, like a furry, golden worm. Before Shang was about to ask if Wi could stop once again, she did. Shang sighed with relief and went back to staring at the ground. A sharp rap against the knees brought Shang to a painful stop.

"What was that for?" he howled.

"If you had gone any further, Shang, you would have fallen to your death," said Tai, speaking for Wi. The porcupine looked around. A rope bridge that had originally hung from both sides now only hung at one. The other side was now completely inaccessible. With Shang muttering curses under his breath, the three other's sought a way to get across. They couldn't think of one. Mei suddenly pointed up the ravine that they needed to cross. A sharp decline followed by a rocky path upwards interrupted the flow of the ravine. A dangerous staircase to the other side.

"If we slide down there, we can climb to the top. It's kinda crazy," said Mei.

"But it'll do!" Wi replied, fearlessly. Excited, the short porcupine made her way over the rocks that blocked her path to the detour. Still muttering curses, Shang followed the porcupine and the two others. Tai found Wi staring down at the steep drop off.

"We're going to have to go down as slow as we can," Wi said. Precarious ledges stuck out from it. They would be able to use those to get down safely. Tai went first, much to his disappointment. Wi followed, helping Mei down and letting Shang drop down. The Golden cat's military training made it a bit easier for him. Mei, being a natural climber didn't find this too hard – though it was still frightening. Tai, even though he climbed the vertical Mengyou City walls, was still scared out of his mind.

_Don't look down, look at Wi and what she tells you to do_. The inch wormed their way down, dropping from precipices sometimes, landing with a slight waver and then continuing on. Once, Tai did look down. On one edge, he could see a slight ledge. If one of them fell, it would stop them from going any further. The fall would kill them anyways, so it didn't matter. Sharp rocks were on the other side when he reached them. He was happy he had a firm grip on the rock. Fate didn't like his thinking though. When he reached the other drop off, the edge with the flat ledge at the bottom, his grip failed. His arms wind milled around as Tai tried to find his balance. Wi lunged out to grab his garments. They still wore the disguises that they were using from the time they reentered Mengyou City. The cheap fabric tore easily and he fell down.

"No!" cried Shang. A mist seemed to come from the depth and it embraced Tai and hid him. Shang pounded the rock wall. Damn it. "We have to move on, Tai would want that."

Under her breath, so the distressed Golden cat wouldn't hear it, Wi said,

"What an unoriginal sentence. Couldn't he thought of something different to say?"

Without any other words, they continued down. Mei looked over the edge as Shang and Wi continued forward. During one of the leaps down, she and Shang had switched positions so she could be at the back. A tear fell from her eye. Tai had been a good friend.

* * *

><p>Tai let the weightlessness overtake him as he fell. He had felt this feeling before when Curo had tossed him into the air. He closed his eyes, and waited for the impact. It didn't come. He twisted in the air. The grey mist had turned white. A shadow came from below to met him. He was going to miss the ledge that jutted out. The tiger was just going to fall until he met the bottom of the ravine. He flew pasted the ledge when a sudden burst of wind pushed him up. He started moving upwards. Tai reached out and grabbed the ledge. The rock seemed to form to his paw. He still slipped. A paw, a tiger's paw, reached out to grab him. It pulled him safely up. He stood on the ledge, dumbfounded. There, standing in front of him, eyes closed, where his three ancestors that he had seen before. He bowed in thanks. They bowed back and disappeared. A serpentine shape replaced them. It was a brown dragon with green stripes running up and down it. A soft, feminine voice came from it. It had a slightly husky sound, yet it was warm and vivid.<p>

"Your time to go to the Heavens isn't yet, Tai," said the voice.

"Are you a Dragon?" asked Tai, feeling just a bit foolish for saying that.

"I am. I am the Earth Dragon Diqiu. Senlin-Mu asked if I could do this for you and I could. I must go now, luck be with you."

The mist faded and Tai found himself safely on the ledge that he had spied from the ledge above. He swished his crooked tail with happiness. His friends and Wi would be so happy! A pebble fell from the edge. It landed a few feet away from him. He could make out a voice, no, voices from above. It was the three! He picked up the pebble and threw it back.

* * *

><p>Shang threw the pebble over the side in anger. He had just lost a friend and the prince of Mengyou City. Twice now he had failed Lord Kun Zhu. Shame was the only thing he felt. Anger, too. Wi sat down on a rock next to Shang.<p>

"It wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself, cat," Wi said.

"Listen to her. And me, as your friend and lover!" exclaimed Mei.

Shang sighed heavily. He still felt guiltly. Even though it had been Wi that had grabbed out to catch Tai, he still felt responsible somehow.

"I don't think I can every forgive myself."

"For the love of Dragons," cried out Wi. "You didn't do anything! Just continue on so that his death wasn't dishonored!"

_Another cliché line_, the porcupine thought. _I'm just as bad as he is_.

Mei turned away, thinking of a way to convince Shang that it wasn't his fault and they needed to continue. A rock struck her head. She whirled around.

"Did you just throw that at me?" she demanded.

Shang pointed to the rock in his own paw.

"I haven't thrown this one. How could I have hit you? Wi didn't do it either, she hasn't picked up a single rock."

Another rock bounced off of Shang's head.

Wi ran to the edge.

"They are coming from down there!" she said. "Hello! Is someone down there?"

Unexpectedly, Tai's voice called back up.

"Yes! Can you guys get me up?"

Shang's ears perked up. Tai was alive? Incredible! He scurried over to the edge and looked down. He could barely spot the tiger within the mist. Whatever miracle had happened, he was happy it had happened. However he had been saved, he thanked the ancestors above. Maybe there _was_ someone watching over them, like Tai and Mei claimed. Even with Tai being more educated than he, Tai still believed in those ancestors and dragons. Tai might be right yet again about them.

"Hey, Wi, do we have any rope?" asked Shang.

Wi looked through her own belongings.

"A bit. Mmmm, I'd say just enough. Tai will have to jump to it though. How good of a jumper is he?"

"He's pretty good. Able to climb trees with not much struggle."

Wi unraveled the rope and let it hang from the side of the rock loosely.

"Jump and catch it," said Shang down to Tai. Tai leapt up and was able to grasp the rope with his claws. He wrapped it crooked tail around it and his feet paws gripped the very end of the rope. He was going to be safe after all.

Tai felt the rope being pulled up. Slowly he was pulled up. Pulling a tiger vertically up must be a hard task, even for three. He spied the edge of the rock and clung to it with one paw. Helping the others, he hoisted himself over the ledge and lay flat on the rock. Three friendly faces stared down at him.

"Surprise," Tai said.

Mei laughed and Shang just shook his head. Wi peered at him curiously.

"You must be the luckiest tiger I have _ever_ seen," the awed porcupine said. "Your ancestors must like you."

Tai nodded and got up. He was missing something though. The familiar weight on his back from the pack! That was what he was missing! They just lost a bunch of firewood and a good amount of provisions. He ran to the edge, hoping that he could see the bag that was now lost forever in the mists.

"I hope one of you knows how to forage, because we just lost a lot of food," he said, walking back over to the three who had been figuring out how to go about and climb the cliff to the other side.

"I know how to," Mei said absently. "I learned it during some travels I did in the past."

Mei still avoided the word _parents_. The loss still haunted her. She missed them dearly and didn't want to loose anyone else close to her in her life. That is why Shang was so special to her. Tai was also someone she considered family now.

Tai rocked back on his feet. They had taken it lighter than he had expected. Wi started climbing up the mountain. As the porcupine shimmied up, Shang followed suite. He had figured out where the other was heading. Turning to the other felines, he pointed out the direction that they were going to take.

"If we head up diagonally from here and hit that large outcropping, we will be able to make an almost vertical climb from there. Got it?"

Mei jumped right on the ledge behind Shang and started climbing. Tai moved a bit more cautious, but also started the journey upwards.

"Oh, and Tai," called back Shang. "Don't fall off again."

* * *

><p>Tai hadn't planned on slipping again and he didn't much to his relief. The grey rock poking up greeted them as they got the other side. Finally back on the trail, they continued on their journey. It was almost a straight line from there and little happened. The quartet walked on until the sun dipped below the horizon. Wi called a sudden halt and they set up a makeshift campsite. They had a meager dinner and went straight to bed – after Wi retold the story about the Valley of Peace for Mei and Shang. Night flew by without any interruptions. The sun greeted them in the morning along with Wi. A quick breakfast was made and they were back on their way. Again, the landscape changed and they realized they were descending into a forest like area at the foot of the mountain range. The mountains continued on, veering in an opposite direction that they wanted to go. Two hours passed before they reached the base of the mountains. They truly were far away from home. It struck Tai as he first set foot in the strange forests. This was the farthest he had ever been away from home, yet the trees were still the same. The flowers and mosses were slightly different, but it still, it reminded him of home. He staggered as the vivid memories of his parents kneeling in defeat before the two wolves at the top of the Tower. He pushed them back to the farthest recesses of his mind. They wouldn't come back to haunt him again! No! He would rescue them and his home too! He looked back down at the ground, focusing on the footsteps that he followed. An acorn bounced off his head followed by laughter. He rubbed this head making his fur stand on end. A stifled giggle followed. Tai looked around wildly as another acorn bounced off his head.<p>

"Up here!"

Tai looked up at the tree branches that sprouted out of the massive tree trunks. A Golden cat and a clouded leopard sat perched on it. Shang threw an acorn down. Tai moved out of the way – directly into an acorn thrown by Mei.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Their porcupine guide walked up next to Tai and punched him playfully on the shoulder. Wi was stronger than he had thought she was, or he was weaker, and he stumbled, catching himself on the tree trunk.

"They are having fun, something I don't think any of us have had in a while," said the energetic porcupine. "And don't worry. I'm on your side. They hit me with those things too. I say, we catch them and give 'em what for, eh?"

Tai shrugged. He had never heard of "what for" until now. The tiger bounded up, sinking his claws into the surprisingly soft bark. He moved steadily upwards. A branch was soon in reach and he reached out for it, remembering the techniques Shang had taught him a while back. Finally, he reached the branch where Mei and Shang were assailed the porcupine. Mei was preoccupied with Wi as she hurled rocks back up at them using a slingshot. Shang gave him a grin, flashing his fangs.

"Catch me."

The agile Golden cat bounded over Tai and threw a gentle punch at him. Shang was shocked as Tai just feebly put up his paws, not fighting back. The tiger was still terrified of fighting and violence. Just the notions seemed to cause him to stagger and tremble with fear.

"You okay?" he asked. Wi had noticed Tai fall back a bit on the lofty branch. At least Tai had a bit of balance on the branch. Mei stopped also to watch them, her training in kung fu allowing her to balance perfectly on the thin end of the branch with ease. Tai lowered his paws.

"I'm fine. You just surprised me."

Tai moved to go back to the ground, but Shang stopped him.

"I hate to say this Tai, but you have to learn to fight."

Before he could protest, Shang put up paw to stop him.

"Or at least defend yourself. Defense is sometimes the strongest offense. I'll punch at you again, try to block it. I'll do it slowly too."

Tai nodded, looking at Shang's paw. The Golden cat Guard had training, he didn't. He just knew what the masters at Mengyou City had taught him and that was mostly the mental portion of kung fu. Tai knew the moves they had tried to teach him, yet he couldn't do them, it was like he was incapable of even the easiest moves. The punch came from Shang without warning. Tai thought as fast as he could, trying desperately remember the certain block that would help him. Finally it came to him. He brought out his own arm to grasp Shang and pull him forward so he could bring his other arm around and push him down. The idea was right, but the timing was off. He felt Shang's paw connect with his face. The Golden cat stopped before it followed through and knock him down.

"Forget it," Tai said, discouraged. "I'm not a fighter or a warrior. I can jump from tree to tree and run, that's about it."

Shang nodded slowly. He wouldn't give up on Tai.

"Alright then, shall we get a move on?" called Wi from below. Mei did a back flip off the branch, caught another branch to slow herself and landed perfectly in front of Wi. Shang dove head first toward a spot on the trunk thirty feet down. He rebounded off of that onto a thick branch and twirled the remaining ten feet. Tai, impressed by the acrobatics displayed, moved methodically downwards as fast as he could, jumping from branch to branch. He reached the bottom.

"You forgot to add climbing and descending trees," said Mei. "Style comes with time, trust me. How do you think I got to look this way?"

Mei did a pompous twirl, swishing her tail suggestively in the air. She laughed at her joke. Tai didn't get it, but laughed anyways.

"A display of beauty is just what we need before we get on our way," exclaimed Wi.

The porcupine continued on with their journey, following a beaten trail.

The sunlight filtered its way through the trees, casting everything in a slight shade of green. Tai stopped once to study a flower, intrigued by its patterns, before they continued uninterrupted on their journey forward. It was surprisingly easy going. No longer did they have to hike up the immense slopes of the mountains or struggle to find their footing on the steep declines. Instead, a smooth, though a bit rocky, path meandered its way lazily through the forest. Occasionally they were met by a shallow stream or a dead log in the way, but they surmounted the obstacles with the help of Wi. Clouds drifted slowly above, at times obscuring the sun, casting a cool shadow on the forest. A squirrel chattered rapidly to his friend above and birds called out to each other in their singsong voice, yet no one took notice of the four travelers that past within their domain.

"Some interesting folk here, don't you agree?" said Wi.

"Not so much," replied Mei. "I've seen weirder on my other travels. Once me and my...family…ran into a group of monkey's who fried their bananas over their fire while doing some sort of headstand and clapping their feet together. It was quite entertaining to watch."

Shang snickered at the thought. Wi just nodded like it wasn't out of the ordinary at all. Not one of the inhabitants of the forest said hello, they just ran along the tops of the trees and fluttered from branch to branch. The deer and antelope that they saw hid from their view. They had never seen three felines with such power in front of them.

_If only they knew that I was harmless_, thought Tai. _I bet one of these children could beat me at whatever physical challenge they lay before me. _

A sudden pagoda style building appeared between two massive trees. The building was slightly rustic, yet still had a homey appearance. It was three stories tall, yet it seemed short compared to the colossal trees that loomed over it. A female rabbit stood on the open verandah that looked as if it had been recently built. The porch looked odd sitting in front of the pagoda, but it gave it a unique quality. The rabbit looked up.

"Ah, four weary travelers perhaps?"

Wi shook her head.

"Not weary yet but ready for a place to stay for the night. Do you know any place we can sleep?"

The rabbit motioned the building.

"Actually, this is a hotel and you are welcome to stay here. My father's rate is reasonable if that is what you are worried about."

Wi started to turn her down but Shang took out a gold coin.

"Will this be good?"

The rabbit looked at the gold coin greedily.

"Yes," she almost gasped. "For a week though. How did you get that much money? We rarely see gold in this area!"

"I had a good friend give it to me."

Tai spoke up,

"It's not all for the rooms though, we need some more food. If you could get that for us too, that would be wonderful."

"I'm happy you said that," said Wi. "I almost forgot."

The rabbit scurried inside and the four followed. The sun seemed to sink faster as they entered the hotel, it wanted to go to sleep but wanted to give light to the travelers. They paid the rabbit's father who took the gold without question and led them to the top rooms.

"These are the best we have," he stated proudly, ushering them into the grand room. "Have a good stay at the Ludong Village Inn!" The rabbits bowed and closed the door upon exiting. The red and pink sky was visible from the shutters that had been open to let the slight breeze find its way into the room. Two large beds, some of the biggest Tai had ever seen in an inn, were nestled at the back of the room. A small dragon chandelier hung from the room, giving barely enough light. Two wash basins sat on the floor at the far left end with a single mirror to share it with. A bamboo screen was at the back of the room, providing privacy when a person was changing clothes. Tai walked over to one of the bed's edge, his feet paws sinking into the plush rug that lay snugly at the foot of the bed. He dumped his bag over and stretched, relieved that he no longer had to carry the weight of the pack anymore. Shang put his pack down next to Tai's. Mei no longer had to carry a pack because they had lost one and Tai felt as if he needed to carry one as atonement for the loss.

"Let's go and watch the sunset," suggested Mei. "It's always beautiful. I've seen them many times, yet they still leave me awed."

"I'll bring the cookies," said Wi. "Cookies are good anywhere and a sunset makes the cookies taste best."

The odd porcupine and lithe clouded leopard walked out together, without taking _no_ for an answer from Shang and Tai.

"I guess we follow them," said Shag. They hurried after the two females, closing the door behind them. Mei acknowledged Tai's presence yet went straight to Shang's side. Wi looked wryly at Tai.

"Would you like me to be your sweetheart for the night?" she said, her face straight.

Tai shook his head.

"I think one couple on this journey is enough."

Wi blinked and didn't continue on the jab. Instead, she moved to Tai's said and pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear.

"Don't tell them, but I've got something better 'an cookies! They don't need it, they've got all the sweetness right there." Wi started cackling at the end, amused by her newest joke. "Nothin' better than cinnamon dumplings. Trust old Wi, you'll like them."

Cinnamon dumplings did sound very good and he already trusted Wi. Tai imagined what the flavor might be. No doubt it would be anything less than what Wi had promised him.

The trees blocked the quartet's view of the sunset. They were forced upwards. With the porcupine being not the best tree climber, they spent a good amount of time helping her up. It was a difficult task. Her quills on her tail and rear made it hard to push her up without pricking their own paws. Pulling her up branch by branch was just as hard. At last, they were sitting on the tallest branch they could. Looking down made brought vertigo to Tai. Pushing down his nausea, he just focused on the sunset.

It was magnificent – both the dumplings and the sunset. The twilight sky faded to black as the sun disappeared completely and the moon stretched itself up into the night. The cinnamon dumplings were sticky, yet completely worth the matted fur. Stickiness, thought Tai wryly, also helped with the task of climbing down. Grip wasn't a concern for any of them and they made their way down smoothly. The townsfolk of Ludong had lit the path that ran through their cozy village. An occasional lantern hung from a reclusive branch. On and on the trail of paper lanterns went. Each one varied in size. Some where the size of Tai's head, other's were even larger than Tai. One that caught the tiger prince's attention was a rectangular wire frame. The craftsman had spokes sticking out the wire frame, pointing inward to hold numbers of even smaller lanterns. The entire thing was very exquisite. Shang tugged at Tai's arm, pulling him forward. They had to get back to the hotel. Regretfully, Tai turned away from the piece of art. A split in the trees let Tai finally see the night sky on the ground. He paused and just stared at the cluster of stars that were seemingly crammed into that one spot.

"I'll catch up with you guys later."

Tai was shocked to hear his own voice. Nothing about the inn or the town seemed to matter now. Only the stars. They twinkled back at him urgently. He heard the footsteps as they faded away and Wi's voice calling back, "Don't take too long."

_Are they trying to send me a message_, he thought as he studied the stars.

"Hello?" he called up.

No answer. Not that he had been anticipating one. Three shooting stars flashed across the little patch of sky. Maybe they were coming. He looked down. Sure enough, the three phantasms were standing right in front of him, eyes closed, paws concealed in the massive folds of their robes. They bowed low to him. He returned the bow.

"Why are you here?" he asked. He cleared his voice and said it again. "Why are you here?"

_That you may know what might possibly lie ahead of you._

"What?" he asked, his voice fervent. Finally, an answer!

_You must learn to fear yourself. You must not change, but you must fight yourself and your enemies._

"What?" repeated Tai. This time, he was flustered. They were speaking in riddles now. Without any other context, Tai had no time to figure this out. The oldest tiger took a step forward and showed him his palm. A tattoo on his hand glowed for the briefest moment.

_Gu-Yi will attack. It always has. You must fight yourself and overcome the beast that is buried within._

"Gu-Yi?"

The lead tiger smiled softly. The other's bent their heads down in what seemed like pity.

_Fight._

Tai looked around wildly.

"I don't fight! I have never fought."

_Then you will succumb._

The final word reverberated throughout Tai's skull. It grew in volume and in intensity. He clawed at his ears, hoping that the mind numbing sound would go away. He closed his eyes tightly and curled into a ball. A burning sensation started to grow in his mind – it was white hot. He howled and it continued to consume him. A gentle hand lay over his shoulder and it vanished, snapping angrily at him as it did so. He lay on the ground, panting, drenched in sweat. He averted his face as soon has he saw who it was. The ghost of the oldest of the elderly was the only one that stood by him, the other's had vanished. The tiger smiled sadly.

_Oh, Tai. You do not know yet are cursed with it._

He held out his glowing paw.

Tai took it. A sharp pinch made him gasp. He pulled away and looked at his paw. Imprinted in red ink on his paw was the same symbol the tiger had shown him.

_You will become lost but you will be found. Do not worry Mishi, peace will come and the puzzle solved._

Tai's ancestor vanished leaving him alone in the woods. He didn't know what happened. He brought his paw up to the moonlight that snuck in between the dense leaves. The red ink glowed. He rubbed his paw in the dirt but the dirt didn't stick to it. His disguise that he had worn when going in to Mengyou City had gloves. He would wear those to stop any questions. Only when he found out what the hell that ghost tiger had been talking about would he show them. Tai made his way to the Ludong Village Inn without further incident. He ran into Shang on his way in.

"There you are!" he exclaimed. "Mei got a little worried. I told her you were fine, but, you know girls."

"I don't know girls, sorry," said Tai truthfully.

Shang gave Tai a deadpan stare.

"Of course you don't," he said and winked at Tai. "Though I'm sure that Master Tigress will change your mind."

Tai snorted.

"You are funny."

"I am, aren't I? Great, now I am starting to sound like Mei."

"I'm not surprised. You spend a lot of time with her."

Shang stopped abruptly.

"Tai, I have a serious question to ask you."

Tai recognized the look on Shang's face. It was going to be about Mei.

"What is it about Mei? You don't like her anymore?"

"No!" Shang practically shouted. He blinked. "I love her more than I ever thought I could love a single being. So. Do you think that I – after all this is done, _this_ being the journey and all that – should ask for her hand in marriage?"

Tai's mouth almost dropped, but he stopped it from hanging loose on its hinges.

"I don't know. I'd think about it. You obviously love her and she loves you back. We will probably finish this in another month or so. By then you will have decided your final answer for sure."

Shang resumed walking, relaxed.

"Good. I was hoping for that answer."

Tai said nothing and they walked back to the room in silence. Shang knocked on the door and it opened immediately. The sleeping arrangements were made quickly and they fell asleep promptly. All that is, except for Tai. He contented himself with looking at the stars, hoping to squeeze an answer out of them. He hopped into one of the beds. To his surprise, Shang had volunteered to sleep on the floor. "Ground is one thing with her. The bed is an entirely different world," he had told Tai in private. So Mei and Wi shared the bed, a massive pillow dividing them both. Tai was told to take the bed, almost commanded to do so. He had no complaints. It had been a while since he been in a bed and he was loving every moment of it, savoring the firm, yet slightly plush mattress. He sighed with content and fell asleep dreaming of the tattoo that now permanently marked him.

* * *

><p>Tai was roughly shaken awake.<p>

"Just a bit longer," he muttered.

"Absolutely not," said Wi, continuing to shake him relentlessly. "We've gotta go! The Valley of Peace is waiting!"

Tai rubbed his eyes. He could see Mei's outline from behind the thin screen. Her outline stooped downwards, dragging her pants with her. Tai blushed as he imagined what Mei must look like. He looked back at Wi. Apparently she wasn't happy with the speed Tai was getting up at. She tugged on Tai's shoulder, pulling him out of bed. He hit the wooden floor with a slight _oof_. He got up slowly and stretched. His fangs showed as he yawned widely.

"Up finally?" said Shang, walking in the door with bowls of rice and a bag of tea leaves. Shang set the bowl down on the small stand that nestled between the two beds. A kettle whistled and Wi scurried off to get the boiling water. She poured three fourths of a cup for each person. Utensils were passed out to Shang and Tai from Wi. The three of them used the beds for seats, eating their breakfast. Mei stepped out from behind the curtain, dressed in the disguise they had worn at the beginning of their journey. Each had worn this throughout their trek, not wasting money or space for extra clothes besides one other change. The clouded leopard grabbed a rice bowl and ate it hurriedly. Tea was followed after the rice and Wi brought out four apples with a flourish. As they munched on the fresh, juicy apples, the luggage was readied and the four were out the door. A small rabbit waved them goodbye and wished them luck. Mei thanked him and she turned back to what lay ahead of them.

Tai focused on the beat of their feet striking the compacted dirt. A low curse broke the regularity as Shang tripped over an exposed root.

"Watch your step," warned Shang.

Tai did so, stepping over the root as if it were poisonous. Tai glanced up at the dense foliage. He wondered if Senlin-Mu was watching him, after all, he was the Dragon of the Woods. A wind blew gently, rustling the leaves. A bird tweeted randomly and again the forest was silent. At odd intervals, the wind would pick up again. It seemed to whistle happily, without a care, going where it pleased. Bright colors flowers caught Tai's attention. A small patch of magnolia's lay slightly off the trail and a bee busied itself collecting the nectar. The tiger turned around to face the back of his friends. Shang's golden fur moved with the wind as the soldier moved forward, matching the pace of Mei who, in turn, matched the pace of Wi, their guide.

_The next step we take, takes us closer to our goal_, thought Tai. He was anxious to get to the Valley of Peace in time. He didn't want the citizens of the Valley to suffer the same fate as his people. Their warning could save hundreds and could prepare the Furious Five, and who ever else fought, for battle. For this purpose, he was not lost. Yet the ghostly tiger had called him by his nickname, _Mishi_. Lost. Why? Tai didn't feel completely lost right now. He had found friends and another acquaintance. People here didn't know him as their prince or the son of their ruler, so they treated him as equal. Equality was something he had lost out on during his stay. No friends until Shang and later Mei. Yet now they were together, closer than he could have ever imagined. Was that what his ancestor – he really needed to find out his name – was trying to tell him? Did he need to find love? A mirthless laugher escaped from his mouth. He was fooling himself. Mei turned around, a concerned expression on her face.

"What was that?" she asked.

Tai composed himself.

"Nothing."

Mei was clearly unconvinced.

"Really? Because I don't think it was 'nothing.'"

Tai couldn't meet the clouded leopards piercing gaze.

"I'll tell you later. Maybe." Tai didn't want to have Mei worrying about him. It wasn't fair to her. This was something Tai wanted to figure out by himself. Wi broke out in song suddenly. Shang joined her, knowing the song as it was widely used throughout the military of any sort. Both weren't the best singers, so their raucous voices drowned out any serenity the forest previously had. The chorus was catchy though, and Tai found himself calling out the echo. It was a rowdy song about the life of a foot soldier during a siege, filled with curse words and questionable phrases. A song meant for the barracks.

"I can't believe my father knew you sung that," said Tai as soon as it finished.

Shang glanced back, winking at Tai.

"I can. He sung it with us too!"

"No he didn't. He wasn't like that."

"You would be surprised. He is a good ruler, your father. I hope we can get him back."

Tai solemnly agreed. Mei spoke up also.

"Did the women soldiers sing it as well?"

"Louder than any of the guys. We had a hell of a time in those barracks."

The porcupine cut in.

"Sorry to end your army flashbacks, but currently, we've got a much larger problem at hand."

Just as quickly as the conversation had started, it stopped. They were met with a fork in the road.

"Classic," said Tai. "A group of travelers met with a fork in the road. Which path do they choose to follow? One will lead them astray, the other in the right direction."

"Seems to happen a lot in books," said Mei. "And they always seem to choose the wrong one. Gives the book spice."

Shang was bewildered. All he ever had read in the short period of time he had been in library with Tai was text books.

"Stories? On paper?"

"Yes. Instead of your buddy telling you it, you would just read it from the book."

Shang shook his head in disbelief.

"Never would have thought about doing that. Is that why people write journals?"

Tai was studying the roads, so Mei answered for him.

"In a sense, yes."

The porcupine rubbed her chin. She was the guide and she was supposed to know where to go but she had never run into this when she had come through here before. It looks fairly new.

"I remember going left, but there was no left. A single road was all there was. Somebody's split the road."

"When you reached here, what direction do you remember traveling?" asked Mei. As a fellow traveler, she knew a good deal about direction and location.

Wi pointed toward the road on the left, they she had said before.

"Then let's go that way."

With no arguments they started forward.

"I'm afraid y' can't go that way."

A tall crocodile stepped out behind a tree. He held a wicked looking sword in one hand.

Shang took the lead this time, his military training kicking in. Tai noticed Mei take a ready stance.

_Such irony that the two who are in love are the ones who can truly fight_, thought Tai. _I'm not sure about Wi's fighting capabilities._

"Why not?" Shang said, his voice low, coming out almost as a growl.

The crocodile leaned the against the tree.

"'Cause I says so. Now, drop yo'r weapons like a good kitty and put your paws in th' air."

"Make me." This time, it was a growl. Shang moved his knives into a ready stance. Robbers, bandits, mercenaries, it didn't matter to Shang. _Nothing_ would stop him.

"Tut tut. I think we'll have t' teach y' a lesson. Boys?"

More crocodiles stepped out from behind the trees. They were surrounded! Shang lowered himself, ready to pounce. Mei had drawn the silver dagger. Wi, to Tai's surprised, put the staff out in front of her and looked around coolly at the thugs. Tai was frozen in fear, the only part of his body moving was his crooked tail. The leader of the crocodile made a slight nod and one crocodile moved into with a spear. Mei was a blur and she landed on the spear head, driving it into the ground. She flew through the air, twisted once and landed facing forward on the crocodile's shoulders. The bandit collapsed from the sudden weight. As he fell forward, Mei lashed out with her palm. The crocodile's head snapped backwards and the spinal cord was broken. Mei took a deep breath to calm herself from the kill. A shout of rage emanated from the leader's throat. A full onslaught was next. From every direction, attackers came at them. They couldn't let any of them reach Tai, if they didn't, the pacifist tiger wouldn't fight back and they could use him as a hostage.

"Form on Tai," he shouted, rushing to Tai's side. He was a bit too slow and a bear bulled him over. Shang wasted no time with finesse and let his knife blade introduce itself to the bear's throat. A spray of warm blood blasted itself on Shang's face. He wiped way the gore with his paw and started to run again to Tai. He could see the brown-orange eyes, the pupils wide, and the tiger's body trembling. Again Shang was slowed. Two pigs came from the sides. They dodged the swipes of Shang's knife with agility Shang didn't think pigs had. A roundhouse kick connected with the Golden cat's jaw. He caught a glimpse of Wi working wonders with her staff, batting animals on the head left and right. Mei was like a deadly ballerina, moving effortlessly, making the cleanest kills using her kung fu. Shang was rudimentary in the martial art, but he knew enough to let him survive long enough with a master before backup came. The pigs attacked again. He really _did not_ have time for this. The swine worked well together, making it difficult for Shang to fight efficiently. At last an opening came, and Shang lunged with his knife. The pig had an evil glint in its eye. It clasped the flat ends of the blade and pulled Shang forward. It head butted Shang as he was throw forward. Stars appeared in his vision, but he shook them away. A cry of surprise burst from Mei as she was tackled from above. The heavy weight of the ox restrained her. A leopard rushed over to help hold her down. A stunning blow was given to Mei. They wanted them alive! With Mei out, they came at Shang. Four against one were not good odds. Shang called for Wi desperately. The porcupine didn't answer. He cast a glance at Tai. He was just in time to see the crocodile leader pounce on Tai, knocking him to the ground. The crocodile sat on Tai, holding the sword up.

"I'd stop if I were y'," he said smugly. He knew he had won.

* * *

><p>The sight of an enemy sword made Tai freeze. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. He saw Mei kill the other crocodile. He saw the spray of blood from the bear and almost vomited. He witnessed Wi fending for herself spectacularly. And, to Tai's growing horror, he saw the leader advancing on him slowly. His gaze was locked onto the crocodile, still unable to move. He no long saw what was around him, just this new, imposing enemy. A slight burn at the back of Tai's mind began to bug him. Finally, the bandit leader knocked him down and he found himself staring up at the self-satisfied reptilian face. He twisted his head. He saw Wi being beat down. Again, the burning sensation grew. He ignored it. He looked over at Mei, her limp body lay on the ground. Had they killed her? The burning sensation became like fire. He felt himself slowly being pulled toward it. He felt his sight getting sharper, but he didn't see clearly. His senses heightened, but he couldn't seem to use them. A quiet shout seemed to grow from the back of his mind within the smoldering feeling. Tai was very conscious about this right now. Now, a groan from Shang as he was beat down. The butts of swords and spears bruised the Golden cat's body, bringing him to the ground. Even when he was clearly subdued, they continued on. A sudden feeling of molten iron coursing through his veins rocked Tai. A quiet shout turned into a thunderous roar, from his own mouth. Everybody froze. The crocodile sneered and brought the blade own. It was like Tai wasn't controlling his body. His paw came up with a strength he had never felt before, yet he wasn't in control. He fought against whatever controlled him now. It welcomed him though, pulling him closer. He remembered how his ancestor told him to fight. He didn't know how to fight so he stopped. He stood his ground. The temptation was great, to delve into this, but he couldn't. A voice of fire howled through his mind.<p>

_Why do you stop yourself? They have hurt your _only _friends, do something_.

Tai was taken aback. It was his own voice that spoke to him. Would he really argue against himself? Tai felt his arm start to weaken. The sword descended slowly toward his throat. Was the bandit leader really going to win?

_No!_

Tai felt like he had lost all connection with himself and his pupils narrowed. His mouth split in a toothy grin. Instincts of killing seemed to lodge themselves in his mind. He wasn't weak like his prey in front of him. _He was a predator!_

With an unearthly roar, Tai freed his other hand and gripped the elbow the leader. He pulled with one arm while pushing the crocodile's wrist back in the other direction. The arm snapped like a twig. The jagged end of the now broken bone appeared from the now useless arm. A scream erupted from the jaws of the crocodile. Anger and pain twisted his face. The goons of the crocodile were still frozen; no one had _ever_ done that to their boss.

"I'm gonna kill y'," spat the crocodile through clenched teeth.

Nothing but a growl came from Tai. He lurched upward and bit deeply into the throat of crocodile. He pulled, letting the flesh and windpipe stay in his mouth. A small piece of Tai was horrified that he had just done that. He swallowed the grisly meat, leaving his mouth ruby red. Revulsion suddenly ran through his mind. A shell of himself still was there, yet the feeling lost itself in the lust of battle. Tai, in his predator like state, kept on his four legs. He snarled at the seven who now still surround them. They blanched and started to run. But Tai was too fast for them. He jumped up and grabbed the chin of one, pulling it back with such force, it almost was ripped off. An unfortunate leopard got within his grasp. He grabbed the flailing limbs of the leopard. The leopard gave off a scream before the teeth and claws even cut his skin. Tai clawed his face and turned to the bear that had dared to grab a weapon. The rest had fled like the cowards they were and here was the final kill. Tai grinned, blood dripping from his now crimson fangs. The bear swung with his fallen leader's sword. The bear swung slowly. His last mistake. Tai crouched low so the blade whooshed safely over his head. He jumped on the bear, knocking him to the ground. He bit down onto the face of the bear, ripping off its nose, exposing the bone. Blood oozed out and down into the opening the tear had left. The lifeblood trickled down the throat and started congealing, effectively choking the bear also. Tai bit down once more and twisted his head. As he did so, he saw Shang's frightened stare. The feeling of being clubbed on the head made Tai clench his teeth. The piece of Tai that still cowered in the back ventured out. It pushed back the molten iron like feeling, sweeping it away like an autumn storm does to loose leaves. Yet it didn't go easily, it fought back and another splitting headache made him bring his right paw up to his head. He saw the tattoo on his hand. A blinding flash seemingly came from the tattoo and his head was cleared. No longer did the burning sensation that made him go berserk have control. He collapsed to the ground panting. He saw the blood stained grass and the macabre corpses.

"I did this," he whispered, terrified at his own deeds. He had massacred fellow animals. Big, fat tears blurred his vision. He let them fall freely. Shang inched closer to Tai, but decided to help the others first. Tai needed to let this get out. A broken cry of anguish tore from Tai and he screamed up at the sky.

"Is this what you had in store for me, Senlin-Mu? To learn that I am a _monster_?"

Shang had made his way to Mei. Raindrops hit his head. Dark, ominous clouds had rolled in. Lightning flashed within the clouds. Thunder reported back, its deep bass sound reaching everybody. Mei stirred. Shang was thankful. Whoever hit her didn't hit her hard enough. He helped her up. Mei finally got out of her stupor and looked around with wide eyes.

"What happened?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

"Something happened to Tai," he said back, quietly so the tiger wouldn't hear them.

She leaned in Shang's shoulder to hide herself from the scene. For the first time, these words escaped her mouth.

"I'm scared."

Shang let his head rest on hers.

"Why?"

"I'm scared for Tai. He truly is as his name says: _mishi_. I am scared that he doesn't find the answer and is lost forever, a shell of what we used to know."

Tai let himself curl up into a ball. For the first time, he cursed aloud.

"To hell with you, Dragons. You haven't helped me."

A voice echoed through Tai's mind.

"_Peace cub! You do not know what still lies ahead. Senlin-Mu did not plan for this to happen. An ancient curse has reared its ugly head, young one."_

"Who are you…?"

"_You may call me Xiaofang, Dragon of Fire. Our condolences to you. You have just dealt with a most horrific of a curse, set back long ago. My advice to you, young one, is to talk to Wi. Show her your tattooed paw. I think she will have to answer. Do not doubt us, cub. You are not truly lost, just need to be found._"

Then, Xiaofang did something Tai didn't think anybody could do. A warmth blossomed inside his chest and he felt peace. How could peace come from the Dragon of Fire? Yet here it was.

"I am sorry."

"_It is wrong what you said, but understandable. Young one, if you ever feel the ancient curse coming on again, look at the tattoo Li gave you._"

"Li?"

"_His name shall be made known to you when you talk to Wi. Luck be with you. And let your mind be at _peace!"

With the final word of peace, a fire went through Tai's mind. Yet it was a cleansing fire. It calmed him, steadied his limbs, and swept away the haunting remains of the curse back into the farthest recesses of his mind. He took a deep breath and got up.

"Thank you, Xiaofang. Thank you, Senlin-Mu."

* * *

><p>Tai sat at a small campfire, his cloak pulled over his head to stop the stray raindrops from getting his head wet. The flames sputtered and flickered in and out, yet Mei kept them alive. Wi rubbed her head, a slight headache had blossomed and refused to go away. They had erected a makeshift shelter for the night. Nobody had wanted to move from that position. Undertaking the gruesome task alone, Tai had moved each of the bodies to the river. He felt a certain responsibility to do it. He didn't know why. He wrapped the cloak around his body tighter. He shivered as he caught sight of his paws. Dried blood caked his fur. Tai still hadn't been able to wash off the blood. He could still taste the metallic flavor of blood that now stained his fangs and teeth. He hated himself for what he had done. To let whatever that was that had overtaken him to do so. He vowed to never let it happen again, but both that one ancestor, Xiaofang, and Senlin-Mu both seemed to doubt it. He looked over at Mei, then at Shang. Neither of them had spoken to him since. Were they afraid of him now? He didn't want that. It would be like going back to isolation again. A flash of lightning struck the earth somewhere and it lit up the forest like the sun. The thunder followed shortly afterward, seeming to shake the forest. Tai had yet to talk to Wi. He risked a glance at his right paw. The red tattoo glimmered. He hoped that this would truly help him keep the curse at bay. Soon or later, hopefully never, it would consume him and he would be lost in it forever.<p>

"So, what happened?" ask Wi. "I seem to have missed it. The blasted thugs knocked me hard."

Nobody spoke. Wi glared at them each, trying to get one of them to break and tell her. An answer was still to be said. Wi noticed the red splotches on Tai's paws.

"You could've have fought them! From what Mei told me, you don't fight."

Tai looked sadly up, his face downcast.

"I did," he said simply.

"What happened?"

Mei and Shang looked up sharply, they too wanted this answer. What _had _happened?

Tai took a deep breath and let it out with an exaggerated sigh. He wrung his paws together.

"What happened?" repeated Wi.

Tai bit his lip. What would they think of him when he told them? Would they think him a monster? They wouldn't, would they? They were his friends and knew who he truly was. But still…it was better to tell them slowly.

_Show them your paw._

The voice of Senlin-Mu blew away all other thoughts. Involuntarily, Tai lifted his tattooed paw. Shang squinted his eyes and Mei leaned in to see what Tai was trying to show them. The red ink reflected the firelight, giving it a halo.

"What is it?" asked Mei. "Never saw that on you before? When did you get it?"

Tai withdrew his paw from their view. Wi looked thoughtfully up at the sky. Tai rubbed it consciously, a bit ashamed for showing it to them.

"About a night or two ago. Remember when I said I was going to watch the stars, well, I did and this happened. Ancestors and stuff."

"Why do you have the mark of Gu-Yi on your paw?" asked Wi, her voice was grave with no trace of the usual mischief. "You do know what Gu-Yi is, right?"

Tai shook his head.

"I can't say I do."

"Then why is it tattooed on your paw?"

"I met an old tiger ghost and he helped me up. I felt a sharp sting on my paw and this is what I saw. I have yet to figure out what it means and how is has any correlation to what happened with the bandits!"

Tai's voice had elevated near the end of his sentence. He was stressed out about this suddenly.

"Gu-Yi means Ancient One. They were the first of our kind and were entirely different. I think now I know how you did what you did. I'm afraid Tai you have been cursed with it."

"What is Gu-Yi?" asked Shang, curious. Shang was interested in this, but he was also wary. He had witnessed first had what had happened when Tai had "succumbed" to this thing; Gu-Yi or whatever it was called.

"It's best told in story and that will tell you everything you need to know and I will enlighten you on the rest," said Wi. "This is not a light topic, so please pay attention."

"Long ago, and I mean long ago, the dragons and the Jade Emperor reigned in the Heavens - they still do. The dragons played amongst themselves and the Emperor sat on his throne and watched everything. All was well. One day, a certain adventurous dragon ventured down below the mist. She discovered a flat, dark, shapeless land. Her name was Diqiu. Immediately she called her friends down to see the land for themselves. The other dragons above didn't follow. They were too busy playing among the mists and the large oceans that encompassed the Heavens. Down these five dragons went. It was very boring, but they wanted to make this a new place. It was like their sandbox and they could do whatever they wanted. The Jade Emperor found about their desires and acknowledged it. He allowed them to do it and granted each of them a Gift. With these, they flew back to the new land. The first dragon, his name was Xiaofang, opened the Gift. His scales suddenly turned a fiery red and a burning yellow. Light flooded into the land. They could see just black and white shapes floating in the nothing. The second dragon opened her gift. This was Diqiu and she was changed to a lush green and an earthly brown. She made land and gave it shape. The third dragon opened its gift. His body was turned obsidian black and dull silver. He placed metal's throughout the new land. The new dragon of metal called himself Jinshu. The last two dragons, Senlin-Mu and Shui opened their Gifts together and they were intertwined. Senlin-Mu created life, vegetation on the new land and Shui watered the plants, giving them life. Without one, there is none. Without the other, it is meaningless. The new place was a good land. It was paradise. Mountains and valleys, hills and plains stretched from end to end. Trees, grass, and flowers flourished. They began to tweak with the land. Weather was introduced and night and day. Xiaofang brought fire and Jinshu brought great statues of metal. It was perfect, but for whom? Certainly not them. They ruled over this place and what fun was it to live in a place no one else could enjoy. The next century, they planned what to do next. Finally, they did so. Our species and many others erupted from the ground, the waters, the metals, and the trees. The new creatures explored the land. They liked it and it was perfect. But, a major mistake had been made when they were creating these. Some were made differently and these attacked others. It became a predator and prey world. No civilization flourished. Violence and the need to kill and survive was all that was left. They disregarded ideas and soon became completely wild, void of all thoughts except from the very basic. The Five Dragons did not like this, but they loved their creation. They decided to fix this. They again implanted ideas, but firmly into the minds of these wild ancestors. A generation passed and small civilizations arose. Animals began to experiment and our lives grew to be great. We lived in harmony and the old ways had been forgotten, or so it seemed.

"It was a while before these past thoughts came back to haunt these new animals. One time, a royal caravan was walking through the mountains. Guards were few because no real threat was there. Suddenly, out bounded many wild beasts. The animals among the caravan recognized a few and cried out in alarm. They killed without mercy. Shouts of despair reached the Dragons and they cast a watchful eye over to them. They were shocked. The past thoughts had come back to control their creation again. They could do nothing but kill them. Slowly, they died. All but one. They spared the tiger for one reason alone. As he was about to crush its next victim, the female tiger, she called out his name. Li. He froze. Something was triggered in his mind. He fell back in horror. His face was contorted with pain and agony. Sweat beaded on his brow and finally he collapsed on the ground. The Dragons saw his defiance to the old thoughts and watch him. When he awoke, he was ashamed of his dreadful deeds. Yet when he told of what happened, they forgave him. That night, the Dragons visited him. He had done wrong, even if he had been under the influence of the old ways. They marked him, the symbol of Gu-Yi on his paw in blood red ink. A reminder of the atrocities he had committed. They also placed a blessing on it. If he should succumb again, he would just have to look at that and it would heal him. Again, the Dragons forgot one thing though. His descendants, they would be cursed with this too. He had children and he called his clan the Shandian clan or lightning for how Gu-Yi descends like lightning among them and how they must be like lightning to fight back. Most children in the Shandian clan received the curse and in the year Li felt right, he would come down and give them the blessing of the Gu-Yi tattoo, or the Peace mark."

The three felines were silent. Tai was part of the Shandian clan and he had just experienced the awful curse of Gu-Yi. Mei felt even more pity for Tai. Shang grimaced. Tai needed to be taught to somehow control this. He knew Tai didn't like killing or any form of violence, but if something like that made his snap, he would wreak havoc. Tai didn't think or say anything. He just stared at the Peace mark. Was this the surprise Senlin-Mu had been talking about? That he had the tattoo that would help him? His orange-brown eyes shone in the dark as he looked up at the stars. Tai was sure they were twinkling back at him in sadness.

"My father never mentioned anything like this to me," said Tai after a long moment of silence. "Do you think he has it? The tattoo and Gu-Yi?"

Wi looked up.

"No doubt. He must have hidden the mark well for no one to notice."

"Why do you think he didn't tell me?"

"That's a question you'll have to ask him yourself. How could I know?"

"I don't know. I just hoped you might have had an idea."

Wi clapped her paws together.

"I say its time to get some sleep. We need to have watches tonight, who knows what can happen."

"I'll take first watch," said Shang.

"If you don't mind, Shang, I would like to take it," said Tai quietly.

"Oh, sure. Go ahead."

"Thanks."

Shang nodded and lay down. The fire popped and crackled happily as the porcupine put in another log. She lay down and covered herself with a blanket. Wi caught sight of Mei and Shang together.

"Can you believe that," she muttered and was out like a rock. Soon, both the clouded leopard and Golden cat were asleep, dreaming of each other, leaving Tai to his own devices. He washed off the blood finally with water and scrubbed his teeth with a piece of bark. The taste of blood was faint now, but manageable. The faces of the animals he had killed flashed in front of his eyes. He focused on the flames, trying to rid himself of the cries of agony that burst from their mouths. The fire danced in front of him still, mesmerizing him at last. The dark memories retreated and left Tai to stare at the fire. A twig snapped in the bush behind him. Tai whirled. He was met with a massive figured swinging a club. The firelight was suddenly extinguished and stars exploded in front of his eyes. He felt dizzy and collapsed. Darkness enveloped him and the last thing he saw was the studded boots of the bandits that had escaped.


	17. Surprise

A/N: Here's two of the three I promised in one update. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>A hallway carved of stone will prison cells lay at the back to the vast cavern. It was dank and the torches sputtered constantly, deprived of air. What air there was, it was stale and there was no movement of it. A pungent smell had arisen from the unkempt cells. Feces and dead bodies rotted in some cells. Puddles of green water rested along the middle of the cells, on the walkway the guards used, and inside the cells as well. A crocodile guard marched up and down, occasionally cracking his whip on the floor. His heavy boots thudded on the rock and the reptile's armor clanked together as he walked on his patrol. The crocodile guard looked with scorn at a mangy-furred tiger. He spat at the tiger.<p>

"Not so tough now, are y'?" mocked the guard. "It's too bad we can't sell y' yet. You'd make a profit, n'doubt!"

The tiger wiped the saliva off his head and huddled closer to the wall.

"Funny tattoo though," continued the guard. "Ne'er seen t'at mark before."

Still the crocodile didn't receive any answer. He got bored with the tiger and moved on. Maybe the Golden cat would provide more conversation.

"Hey!"

The crocodile banged on the cell doors with the butt of his spear.

"I'm talkin' t' ya Goldie!"

The Golden cat snarled. The crocodile feigned terror. He cackled and kept on walking. The sound of a gong reached the ears of everybody in the prison. The guard's eyes lit up and he rubbed his claws together.

"Lunch! Well, see y' suckers later!"

All of the prisoners watched with dismal stares as the crocodile opened the wooden door and then shut it behind him, going off to his meal. Each of them was hungry and starved. Their captives hadn't been very kind to any of them. Some of the captives who had been here the longest were skin and bone, emaciated creatures that would bring anybody to pity them. Most of them were gaunt, unfit, and weak.

The crocodile guard was part of a larger group that worked underground selling slaves and kidnapping others to continue providing their clients with whatever specimens they so desired. The Empire had outlawed this, unless you are in debt, but the black market slave trade flourished even so. Those who were not bought or traded within a year were usually forgotten about. They kept the best _products_ in _mint condition_, as they would say. This particular group was notoriously known for being the shrewdest in deals and the cruelest to the captives – committing acts of violence for no reason. They were merciless fighters and when someone fought back; their life was usually drastically shortened regardless of the profit they could receive. On a good day, whipping would commence as soon as the captives had arrived and then, their backs still open and bleeding, placed in a detention cell until a buyer came to make a purchase. When they had a group of beleaguered animals come back and exclaiming that a lone tiger had killed a lieutenant and almost half the rest of the group, they came back with a taste for vengeance. Luckily for Tai and his friends, they had been marked as _fine specimens_, so they were spared their lives. Tai had been whipped ruthlessly, then shoved into a quarantine cell, alone from any other animals. For the rest, they had just starved them for three days and gave them no water for a full day and a half.

"Another half a day passed," commented Wi from a cell five up from Tai. The tiger crawled over to the iron bars and clutched them. His back still stung from the whipping he had received over a week ago. Had it really been that long since he had killed those animals and they had been captured? Tai looked at his paw and therefore at the tattoo that he had received from Li, one of the three ancestors that visited him irregularly. The iridescent red ink glimmered even in the scarce light that the torches emitted. Gu-Yi, Ancient One, the curse that plagued him and his past family, still lived in the back of his mind, begging to come out and take control over him. It was against his own being to slay others, yet on that night, it had come naturally with Gu-Yi. How he hated it. He wasn't meant to kill others. No, his teeth were for eating and his claws were for gripping rock and the bark of trees to climb. When had they become a weapon? No, they were not a weapon. He wouldn't allow it to come over him again. This was one battle he would fight, a fight with himself and his mind. This was a battle he wouldn't lose.

"Yes, it is," replied Tai finally. "Just another day of despair and aloneness."

"Cheer up, it could be worse!" said Wi.

Shang twisted around in his own cell, directly across from Tai.

"How so?"

"First off, we could have been tortured more. Second off, well, this is an easy one, we could've been killed!"

Mei laughed weakly.

"An optimistic one aren't you, Wi?"

"Always and never not!"

"What do you think will happen to the Valley of Peace?" asked Tai.

Silence. Nobody wanted to think of that right now. Each one of them felt terrible because they would be too late to warn them. Who knew how close the wolves were to the Valley? No less than a month's journey. Not even that probably. Yet here they were, captured with information that could save them. They had failed.

"They will be warned," said Shang, his voice steady. He had not given up. He was going to warn them one way or another. His mind refused to let him accept defeat; it was just hardwired into him. Success had to be met and he would meet it. The Golden cat had furiously mulled over how they could escape. He couldn't think of any ideas, none came to him. The keys to the cells were hung outside the door of the entire cavern and the iron bars weren't weak or rusty. When given their food, they were forced to eat without any utensils so they couldn't hide a spoon or knife or fork at all. Surprisingly, Mei and Wi had been put in a cell together, so it would be a bit easier for them to get out. It meant one less cell to unlock. Of course Shang felt terrible leaving the rest of the prisoners and slaves here to sulk in the cells, but that would just jeopardize their own escape. No one else spoke, so Shang went back to thinking.

Wi too had been thinking on how to escape. Nothing had escaped the observant porcupine, but there was nothing to really hide. Everything had been smoothed and there were not little cracks or crevices they could hide in while the guards searched. The keys were inaccessible and the guard's were very thorough in their patrols. Even the sloppy ones were professional on their watches. Whoever had constructed this had done a very good job.

Tai stared bleakly at the opposing wall. He had given up. He wasn't the lone candle in the dark anymore. Darkness was everything right now. He had no way of getting out. He couldn't fight his way out – unless he gave way to Gu-Yi, something he didn't want. Tai wasn't good at stealth nor could he think of anything that would help him get out. The locks on the gate weren't very complex, they had been designed for easy opening and closing so the guards wouldn't have to really mess around with the keys as much and therefore loose focus on the prisoner. But, the designers had cleverly placed the locks just out of the reach of the prisoners. The cells were ingenious in their design, no doubt. He noticed a symbol on the lock. It was the symbol of a locksmith in Mengyou City! He reached out to touch it, but decided against it. The symbol seemed familiar. Why had he seen it before? Tai closed his eyes and tried to imagine himself back in Mengyou City. He struggled to get the more intricate details right, but was able to create a pretty feasible replica within in mind. Tai imagined himself walking through the streets. Many of the building he couldn't put a name on, except the few like the noodle shop and Jingli's. One building stood out to him. He had visited there before. The building has a high roof but a low ceiling. The inside smelled of molten metal from the smithy next door. The metal was sent over to the locksmith who then formed the metal to create locks for the citizens of the City. His father had taken him their once. Tai remembered the silver-furred monkey taking apart locks to show the curious younger Tai how they worked. This one, thank the Dragons, was one he had shown him the innards of. The lock had been designed for prisons. The key was straight besides one large loop in the key near the end. The key fit the inside of the lock perfectly. When the key hit the back of the mechanism, the guard would push it down and over a bit. A little hook would catch onto the loop in the key. When the guard turned, the key would push the hook back and slide the deadbolt back, effectively and quickly unlocking the door. A release trigger snapped the bolt back into place without the need for manual securing. Tai smiled. He had figured it out. Tai didn't let his elation show. He wanted this to be kept from everybody. False hope wasn't good for people, it could turn out for the worse and they would just immediately go into despair and give up. But how was he going to make that key with almost nothing?

_Tinker_, said the voice of Senlin-Mu. _A cup, a nail file, and strength._

Tai let each of the words burn itself into his mind. How could those make the key he needed? Now he really had something to think about.

Tai's stomach rumbled. He was hungry. A young rabbit cried out; she was starving. The unique sound of wooden wheels over stone reached the captives. Faces of many different species, all gaunt with malnutrition, pressed their faces to the iron that held them in. The keys jangled and the wooden door burst open.

"All right, y' mis'rable lot, time fer a meal!"

A fellow slave pushed the large cart forward while two other slaves pushed a tin cup of stale water and a few pieces of bread into the cells of every captive. All this was done under that watchful eye of the crocodile guard with the bull whip. As soon as the cart and crocodile passed to get those at the end of the hallway, Tai picked up the cup. Time was running out and he needed to figure out what Senlin-Mu meant that he was able to use the cup to help escape. The cup was like the other cups they were served. A cylinder of tin with a handle on the side, usually; some had it, some didn't. The handle! Tai looked back down the hall. The guard and the slaves were coming back to collect the plate and cup! He pried off the handle. It made a terrible screeching sound. Tai grimaced. Sure enough, the heavy boots started rushing down to his cell. With the broken off handle hidden in his pants, Tai downed the water, as bad as it was, and shoved the bread into his mouth. He chewed slowly, thanks to the amount of bread in his mouth, but was finally able to swallow it. Crumbs were left on the plate. If anyone had just passed by, nothing would have seemed different. The cup was just one of the cups that didn't have a handle, right?

"What was t'at damn noise?" thundered the crocodile, his nostrils flaring.

Tai didn't know what to say. He sat there, his mouth hanging open, looking rather stupid.

"I asked you a question."

Tai snapped out of it.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I was dragging my claws on the stone."

The crocodile guard glared at him. He wasn't convinced. Tai extended his claws and let them run along the ground. A sound not unlike the sound of tin being torn made the crocodile cover his ears.

"Shuttup!" yelled the crocodile. Tai stopped, no needed to instigate, he had what he needed. "Gimme yer stuff."

Tai did so without question. Muttering, the guard and his slaves collected the rest hurriedly and exited. Tai almost danced with joy. Escape was possible now. He just needed two more things. The nail file was going to be tricky, but strength was one thing he did needed.

* * *

><p>Another day passed and Tai had manipulated the tin handle enough to, as close as he remembered, fit the hook inside the lock. The clever tiger had figured out a way to use the file and the new hook together. He would push the file through the soft tin and then try to somehow keep the file in the place. Then, he would be able to reach around and fit the lock in. How? He had thought about that for a while. The answer had come to him by accident in fact. Come to think of it, the file had come to him on the same day. Tai had been sitting on the back corner of the cell. He looked around the cell, bored like normal on a day like this – or was it night? The cell was small, like the rest. A door was at the very edge of the prison cell and a raised bed right next to the iron barred 'windows' sat beside it. The bed had been placed in view so that the guard could easily see if the prisoner was there or not. He got cold sitting there in the corner and had moved to the bed. The guard left a thin blanket on the bed so that the prisoners wouldn't get too cold. The blanket really didn't help, but it was comforting in a strange manner. There he sat, his crooked tail dangling out the bar. He let his tail swish back and forth to keep himself from getting too bored. His tail suddenly hit something protruding. He let the tip of his tail feel around the bump. A hole was at the center of it. A bit too small for his tail to fit in, he turned his head around and pushed as much as he could against the bars. His tail was touching the lock! The guard was at the far end of the hallway having fun taunting a deranged wolf. The guard seemed engaged at the moment, so Tai continued to search around the lock. The bend in his tail wasn't a hindrance this time; the tail functioned like it should have…only with a forty-five degree bend near the middle. From then on, Tai practiced grasping different objects with his tail, trying to get the feel of how it would be like when he finally did try to unlock the door. He still needed the file though. The guard walked by, a disinterested face look on her face. She leaned against Tai's cell's door and took out a thin metal object. She extended her claws and began to rub them with the stick. It was an iron nail file. Tai grinned. How good his ancestors were being to him today. He noticed were the guard had taken out the file and eased his paw out the iron bars to slit the pocket where she kept it. He cautiously cut the bag and then let his tail drift underneath the small opening at the bottom of the door. Finally, the guard placed it back it. To Tai surprise, it fell straight though, like planned.<p>

_Something I guess _do_ go according to plan_. Tai mentally shrugged.

It was too early to think that. The file dropped onto the floor with a _clank_. The guard froze along with almost everyone else in the hallway. Tai quickly put his tail over it and started to slide it under the door. He let his claws scrape the floor to cover up the sound of the file being drug along the floor. At last, the file was under the door and in his paws. He realized he had been holding his breath and let it out.

"You, tiger, what were y' doing?"

Tai just went back to running his claws on the floor creating the same screeching sound as before. The guard grimaced at the sound then left to continue on her patrol. Tai pulled out the cup handle and started to use the file to make a hole to keep the file in place. He had to work in secret. Otherwise the guards would have confiscated it and he would have lost everything he had gotten up to this point. It took him a full day with constant pauses in work to hide it and then the rest of the night, but finally, he had the makeshift key. He hid the key in the pants that his captives had given him and got Shang's attention.

That night, when the guards stood outside the very front door the prison hall, he and Shang whispered back and forth on what they needed to do.

"Shang!" Tai whispered, louder than he meant too. The Golden cat moved over to his door.

"What?"

Tai wordlessly pulled out the key to show Shang. The dim light made it difficult to see, but Shang was able to make out the shape.

"What's that?"

"That," stated Tai proudly, still keeping his voice low, "is a key. I know how these locks work. A few of them were in Mengyou City."

Shang's fangs showed as he grinned devilishly. They were going to escape.

Another prisoner had moved next to Shang.

"A key?" he said excitedly. "A key!"

The last statement was almost a shout. Tai hurriedly buried the key underneath his pants. He could _not_ let those guards see it.

"Quiet down in there!"

The guards on the outside banged against the door loudly. The hallway echoed with the sound. All was silent. Tai started the conversation back up, cautiously.

"Listen, I wish we could save you all, but it would endanger everybody."

The slave looked at him, wide eyed. The stare haunted Tai, it seemed to dig into his soul and pierce his mind like a hot knife though butter.

"Then come back for us."

Tai nodded.

"I promise."

The slave seemed a bit hesitant to accept it.

"When he says he promises, he means it," said Shang softly, yet firmly. He knew Tai would never back down from a promise, regardless. Though how he was going to, he didn't know. "Pass the word though. Make sure the rest know not to make noise when we do escape tomorrow night."

The prisoner acknowledged the request by simply yelling loudly,

"No noise tomorrow night!"

The door banged again.

"Shuttup…an' listen to whoever said that! No noise!"

Tai heard Mei giggle. The prisoner had just delivered a message right underneath the guard's noses and they agreed with it.

"Tomorrow night?" asked Tai.

"Yes, we need to get the word to Mei and Wi. When they do the morning attendance with the rest, we can plan it quickly."

Tai blinked his approval and went to his bed. He couldn't wait till tomorrow. But, at the same time, he was anxious. What were they going to do if they failed?

* * *

><p>The next morning, the guards came in and chained up every single prisoner. They were then chained to a central chain and marched to a large, open room. The walls were high, but the roof had collapsed letting daylight stream in. The total amount of slaves and prisoners coming in from the other chambers was appalling. It was apparent that the slave traders had created a very successful business to make sure their stock was as full as this. It disgusted Tai. He felt the white hot, searing feeling at the base of his skull. Gu-Yi. He looked down at his paw, the red Peace Mark glowed red and he felt the feeling leave him. Tai took a deep breath, he had to remain peaceful and calm, otherwise Gu-Yi would overtake him again – that was something he didn't want to happen again. Shang casually made it look like he was jostled over to Tai. Wi caught on and almost drug Mei over to them. The three felines and porcupine stood in the midst of motley group of animals and waited for attendance. Organization wasn't the best here. The slaves just mingled together. They would call out the number and the slave who had been designated the number would call out loudly, "Here!" The slave traders were obviously cocky enough to think the slaves wouldn't think of planning an escape or they had too much faith in themselves.<p>

"Good job, Tai," exclaimed Wi as soon as she heard the news. They paused to listen to the number being called: one-oh-four-nine. None of them. "You say we are going to leave tonight?"

"A bit sudden, I know, but Shang says that way rumors won't leak out, or a very minimal amount," replied Tai.

"What's going to happen?" asked Mei. Her fur stood on end. She too was excited about this. A number was called out: one-one-five-seven. Still not one of them.

Shang laid out the entire plan he and Tai had come up with.

"Tai's going to unlock the door and come open mine up. Then we're going to break you two out. There are two doors and the guards are positioned, stupidly, right on the edges of them a little bit out. All we have to do is slam them open real hard and they will be out cold. I've been able to sorta figure out a way out, but it's a bit risky. We're going to have to run through the armory and then through here again. See those little rafts up above?"

Shang pointed a paw to the numerous amounts of broken wood ends of boards that led up to the top. Wi was shocked that she hadn't seen those before.

"In the armory, we will be able to get some rope and make our way to the first one and up we go. Got it?"

"What about our stuff?" asked Mei.

"We're going to have to forget about that, we'll figure out what to do up top when we get up top."

Mei shook her head and was about give a retort when another number was called out. Three-eight-two-oh.

"Here!" called out Mei. The guard gave a bored nod and checked her off. Mei turned back to Shang.

"My knife, the one that you gave me, is still there along with a bunch of our stuff. We need that stuff Shang, those clothes we can sell at least and get food. We need our weapons in case we have to fight here or later."

Shang sighed.

"We can't risk out escape for a bunch of items, Mei. I know how much that knife means to you, but you being alive means more to me!"

Mei was visibly shaken. She knew that Shang spoke the truth, but she didn't want to loose the gift Shang had given to her.

"I'll bet the knife is in the armory," said Wi. "We'll be able to get all of our weapons in the armory. I doubt those bozos would just keep our weapons in quarantine. Heck, I wager an apple to a pear that we find our clothes in the barracks and the weapons in the armory. Mei, how about we go the barracks and take our stuff. Shang and Tai can get the rope ready and hold down the fort."

Mei seemed happy with that, even though it did make the chances of them getting caught skyrocket. Shang started to protest, but Wi cut him off. Another number was called: four-two-seven-three. Tai called out he was here and Wi continued on with Shang.

"Don't worry, we'll make it. Besides, moral is important too. Now, you said we would figure out where to go when we got up, I'll tell you, 'cause I already know. We are going to go to the Valley of Peace, but first, we are going to go to a tortoise's house I know. He's a great guy, wonderful in fact. He'll help us get supplied and we can be back on our way."

"What's his name?" asked Mei.

"Kamon Fangwu. He lives in a forest by a stream near mountains. Hold on, I'll be able to tell you rather quickly."

Wi walked over to a guard and stood right in front of him. The guard looked at the porcupine without interest. Wi then looked the guard directly in the eye.

"Are we by chance near the Peng River?"

The guard looked at Wi with surprise.

"Uh, yeah…wait, why do you want to know?"

"No reason. Why are you a wolf?"

The guard shrugged.

"'Cause, uh…"

Wi left the guard to figure out why he was a wolf and returned back to the other three.

"Turns out we are near the Peng River. All we need to do is find that, follow it upstream, find a forest with mountains in the background and find a cabin and we're there!"

"Alright, so it's settled," said Tai after a moment of silence. "Tonight, we break free, say hello to Kamon, and go back to warn the Valley of Peace."

The day passed by slowly, the four of them were all fidgety and awaited the night impatiently. They could hardly wait. Shang tried his best to keep his emotions hidden, but every so often he would stop and plan out the route again in his mind, tracing his claws through the air until a guard would look at him with a confused expression. The slave traders had surprised the prisoners that day by forcing them to do manual labor, to see if they were 'fit or not.' In reality, it was just another way for them to expand their lair. Yet it bade well for the future escapees. As they worked, they were able to see where they would need to go and where the guards were place. The work that the traders had placed upon them had become a blessing in disguise. The only drawback is that they would be more tired than if they had just sat in the cell all day and had placed tic-tac-toe by themselves – for Tai – for had meaningless chatter with other prisoners. At last, the gong sounded and the normally atonal note seemed pleasant and perfect to Tai's ears. The work was done and night was going to fall soon. They were herded like naughty children back into their cells. The guard didn't handle the prisoners like children. The guards viewed them a low as the dirt they walked on and maybe a little lower. The call for lights out came sharply at ten o'clock and the guards walked out of the room and shut the door behind them after they extinguished some torches to provide a meager amount of light. Tai counted down the minutes, thirty, until he made his move. He found the key and let his tail wrap around the handle of it like he practiced. He carefully moved the key out of the irons bars and into the key slot. He moved it down and over like he remembered the locksmith had shown him. He felt the satisfying resistance as the hook grabbed hold of the loop and pushed it back just a bit. He twisted, praying that his tail had the strength to twist the lock. It did. The door opened on slightly squeaky hinges. Tai froze in spot, waiting for the guards to come in, swords drawn and ready to attack and restrain any animal that had dared try to escape. Tai took the key out and opened Shang's door. The Golden cat walked out, even though he was tired, he held himself up high. Shang's cellmates looked at Tai with pleading eyes.

"I will return," he whispered. They nodded wordlessly and appeared to trust him, but their eyes seemed to accuse him that he would betray them. Mei and Wi were quickly released and they crept to the door. Two small squares with the same kind of iron bars running vertically were placed at eyelevel on each door, allowing for them to peer through to the other side. The guards were in the exact spot Shang had predicted they would be. He nodded at Mei and then both landed powerful kicks to the doors edge, snapping the lock with ease and sending the doors slamming into the guards. They collapsed without a word, both unconscious.

"We're out," said Shang, stating the obvious, but it felt good to confirm that.

Mei and Wi started off to the barracks while Tai and Shang headed to the armory to grab the rope and the weapons they needed.

Tai and Shang moved along the shadows, with Tai following Shang's every move, trying his best to copy it so they wouldn't be detected. The armory door was unlocked by the same key they had used for the prison locks. The room was filled with weapons and arms of all kinds. They even had one of Shen's cannons at the back. Thankfully, there was no gunpowder or cannonballs to be seen. Tai located Mei's knife quickly. Shang found the bows and the quivers just as fast. They were the most exquisite made of them all. Each one designed and crafted by the craftsmen of Mengyou City. That didn't mean they were made of the finest materials, no, the ones the slaves traders used were over the worst quality Shang and Tai had ever seen. This made them appreciate their weapons all the more. Shang's two knives were found among a pile of knives. He clasped them in his paw. Tai found a good enough length rope and let that drape over his shoulder. As quietly as they could with weapons and metal, they made their way to the center area with the open roof. They were as silent was ghosts that walked with full body armor. In other words, not like they meant to be. Many times they had to stop in the shadows as a guard came snooping around. Each time, Tai's heart thudded in his chest and he was amazed that the guard couldn't seem to hear it as well. The cavern with the collapsed roof was desolate. No guards could be seen. A few could be heard in the hallways to the right of them, but the sound was traveling away from them so they weren't too scared. Shang got the rope strung up and they hid again in the shadows, waiting for Wi and Mei to come.

As soon as they had left the two males, Mei and Wi encountered guards. They dove behind barrels to hide themselves. To their horror, two of the three guards walked over to were they hid. Wi wasn't frightened though. She made a slamming motion with her paws and Mei understood. Wi crawled around the barrels. The third guard was looking down a hallway, seeing if anything moved down their. He only missed what was behind him. Wi kicked his feet from underneath him and before he could get up, she began to choke him. As the guard passed out, Wi let go. She wasn't in the mood to end another's life, not matter how vile the creature was. Wi turned to see Mei spring up and slam the two guard's heads onto the hard, wooden edges of the barrel. The blow stunned each one and Mei finished them off with swift jabs to the jaw.

"On we go," said Wi.

The barracks started immediately after they crossed a large mess hall and yet another hallway. The caverns were truly massive. Entering the barracks was a bit odd for the two females. The traders clearly did not care for modesty or privacy. Females and males slept in the same room together. There were no curtains or bamboo screens for one to change behind, everyone was treated the same. The clothes were kept in an adjoining room that connected all four the barracks together. Mei and Wi crawled on the floor between beds and, sometimes, a body that had rolled out of its bed and onto the floor. The wooden door to the clothing room opened silently and they found themselves in a massive room with clothes every where. A little area over at the back of the room was clean and void of any dirty laundry for the slaves to do. They decided to check there. The black clothes they had stolen from the boar soldiers on the first night were directly on top. Mei wrapped those into a tight ball and put them under her arm. The other clothes they were all they needed to find now.

"Let's start searching!" said Wi, just as cheerful as before. The prospect of digging around in unwashed slave trader's clothes made Mei shudder. She liked to live life on the edge, but this was way over the top. But, those clothes helped complete the disguise, and if they were to run into any of the wolves' army out here – who knew what spies the wolves had – the disguises wouldn't give them away immediately. As they rifled through the various amounts of clothing, they were able to pick out the pieces of black clothes that they needed. Footsteps could be coming from one of the barracks. Mei blanched and Wi hurriedly looked for a door to escape that wouldn't go into more barracks. She spotted a door and the two rushed towards it. A guard walked in just as the door shut. The guard looked at the door. No one was supposed to be in here after curfew except the patrol. He walked forward with his spear held in front of him, lowered into a ready stance. He prayed it was just a group of practical jokers – he begged that it was. With his prayers complete, he walked forward, listening intently for the receding footsteps.

Clothes in hand the two females made their way to the open roof cavern. The crescent moon let its fill the cavern with a soft glow, betraying the tense atmosphere that had collected between the four fugitives.

"We're here," came a voice from behind.

Tai jumped and spun around with his paws in front of his face. He lowered them, rather embarrassed, when he saw that it was Mei and Wi.

"Quickly now, put these on," commanded Wi. The sound of clothe against clothe filled the open roof cavern. The rope was pulled taut and Shang swung up first, testing the resilience of the rope. It held and Shang pulled himself to the first board, it bended slightly. Tai made his way up second. The board began to bend a bit more under the combined weight of the Golden cat and tiger.

"Go on sweetie, I'll lead up the rear," said Wi to Mei. Mei blinked, not daring to say thank you this close to freedom in fear that someone might hear her. Mei was halfway up the rope when a sudden shout arose from the hallways. Guards began to pour in from the adjacent hallways, all shouting with a great roar of anger.

"Up you go!" shouted Wi, snapping Mei out of her frozen terror. The clouded leopard climbed upwards. Wi started to climb but a swift runner grabbed hold of her feet.

"You two, go on up, I'll meet you there later," said Shang. He began to pull on the rope, trying to lift Wi up above the throng. The runner was joined by another and they started to loosen Wi's grip on the rope. Shang tensed and was ready to pounce on the gaud but Wi saw the look in Shang's eye.

"Just go on! Get out of here! I'll be fine!"

_Wonderful, another unoriginal line_, said Wi. She knew that she was going to not escape, at least make it memorable with a good line. And _that_ was all she could think of. _Stands to reason though, it is a dreadfully good line._

Shang was indecisive for a moment, hesitant to just leave what had become a good friend to the slavers. Wi waved a paw nonchalantly, like always. How could she so callously throw her life away? Tai was at Shang's side. He let a paw rest on the Golden cat's shoulder.

"I think we best do what she says. How mad do you think she would be if we got killed trying to save her."

Shang smiled bitterly, how blunt of Tai, but how true. A hammer blow came across Wi's head. The porcupine's body collapsed, all the fight lost in her. Her grip was lost on the rope and she fell into the throng. With a shout of despair, Tai clambered up the boards, following Shang. Tai looked back in desperation, he was glad he was. He could see a couple guards tying up Wi. They wouldn't tie up a dead body. The tiger saw the sides moved and the porcupine stir. She was alive. Whispering the same promise he had done to the slave, he made it to himself.

"I will come back. Don't worry."

At last, they got up outside. The voices below started moving away and they could hear the echoing commands that drifted up to them. The chase was on!

* * *

><p>The Peng River would have been a nice river to bathe in. The water's had a slight chill to them, but it was a refreshing chill after a hot day. The grass that ran beside it was a vibrant green and that fauna that grew next to it added to the melting pot of colors. Rocks sprouted up like the flowers at times, add a sharp contrast of grey to the normally bright greens, blues, reds, pink, and so forth. Even in the moonlight, the water had a silver sheen and the rocks light grey turned to a darker hue. The plants all of a sudden held a ghostly beauty, the blue light giving them the look of flora from another place and time. It was still as well, a kingfisher tweeted off in the reeds somewhere the lined the river in no particular order. The Peng also seemed to respect the silence, for the river didn't gurgle and babble to the travels like many of the others did; thus, it had received the nickname, "The Silent River." This normally attracted many visitors to hear the stunning silence of it and led many to come here to meditate on the many issues in life. The silence was peace for them.<p>

In this case, silence was not peace. The sound of their footsteps as they trod in the grass seemed deafening to Tai. Numerous shouts and yells could be heard from behind. Torches had been lit by their pursuers and they numbered eleven in total; ten to fight, one to flee and warn the others if that need be. The eleventh was usually a runner.

The cool grass seemed like icicles underneath their feet as they ran. It seemed to crunch and steal the heat from the soles of their feet. The torches behind kept the pace they were going, not going faster or slower. The slavers had experience with this and they could run for how ever long the escaped slaves ran. Tai had never run this much in his life. He thought of the kung fu Masters at the Jade Palace, no doubt they would think this a jog. What would Master Tigress say?

_What are you even thinking about_, rebuked Tai to himself. _Now is not the time to think about females! We've got to run!_

Run they did. The forest inched toward them. Hours passed and their mad dash had turned into a slow jog. The slavers noticed this and accelerated their pace just a bit. If they weren't able to loose them in the forest Tai hoped was close, they would be caught and they could kiss warning the Valley of Peace about the wolves goodbye for good and forever.

The forest did want Tai and his friends to warn the Valley of Peace it seemed, because it seemed to start suddenly and they were lost among the trees soon. The tall trees voided all moonlight that tried to sneak in to touch the forest floor leaving the felines in the dark. Their eyes soon became accustomed to the little amount of light and they were able to navigate well enough. The enemy torches lit up the forest like fireworks lit up the night sky. The slavers spread out just enough so the light covered a greater circumference, but close enough to come to another's aid shortly.

"What are we looking for again?" asked Mei as they accidentally crashed through some underbrush. The torches moved in their direction.

"Well, we've found the forest and the mountains – don't know why I didn't see those before – are over there. All we need to do is look for a cabin with those in the background," supplied Tai. "I think we look that way."

Three shooting stars passed overhead and they _all_ saw three of Tai's ancestors, therefore all tigers, armed with spears, blocking the way. One of them pointed to the opposite direction.

"You know, Tai," said Shang out of the side of his mouth. "I still doubted you a bit with the whole ancestors thing. I one hundred percent agree with you now."

"Good."

Bowing in thanks, the three did an abrupt about-face and started hurrying in the direction the spear welding tigers had pointed. They caught sight of them from time to time, diverting their path, pointing them in the right direction. The torches still were close, close enough to fry Shang's nerves a couple of times. He felt like his whiskers were getting singed sometimes by the angry flame and the sharp voices that rang out to call the others to him or her. At last, they came upon a cleverly hidden cabin. All the lights were out and thin wisp of smoke wandered upwards to get lost in the heavens somewhere. It was a quaint cabin, not to large. Nothing more than two rooms Tai guessed. They ran to the front door and banged on it.

"Can you hear us? We've got some slavers on our trail and need to hide. Hello?"

Shang pounded on the door over and over again, trying to get the inhabitants awake and aware of what was going on.

A snicker came from behind and to everyone's horror, from behind the tree trunks, came the slavers, all eleven of them.

"Gotcha y' now, kitty cats. Why don' y' just put yer hands in the air an' this'll be over easy like."

Shang snarled and pulled out his two knives. Mei proceeded to pull out her ivory knife and bring it to her ready position, calling upon her kung fu teachings. Tai grabbed for his bow and arrow. He fitted an arrow on the string and gulped. He had killed now before – thanks to Gu-Yi. He didn't want to do it now, but a show could always scare away somebody and he hoped it would scare away these. Apparently it didn't because they just readied their weapons likewise and continued forward. A loud, hollow sounding _thok_ sounded suddenly and a slaver toppled over. A tortoise took its place, with a staff in his left had. The turtle wore a sash of green and brown across its front body with it spreading out and covering his shell. The staff was a taller than the turtle and had a knot of wood at the top. A thin jade line ran down the center of it. The tortoise was old and looked as if he had survived through many years, witnessing almost everything. The eyes also told of great wisdom and a hint of mischievousness with a sprinkle of compassion and understanding. The slavers turned to face this new threat. One of the older slavers had a look of recognition and turned to flee. The leader barked out a command the older slaver was shot instantly by a bolt from the archer's bow. The slaver fell down with a staccato scream. Blood ran down the arched back of the dead slaver and began to collect on the ground, moistening it and giving the normally brown dirt a red tint. The tortoise shook his head.

"Fighting amongst yourselves is not good you know."

"You, get over here."

The tortoise shrugged and sauntered over to the leader.

"Keep an arrow train on 'im, m'kay?"

The archer sneered at the elderly tortoise and aimed down the sights at the tortoise. Everything was still, even the three felines didn't move. Mei let her tail twitch despite herself. The leader swung a punch at the tortoise. The tortoises easily blocked the punch and let his staff strike the leader on the head. The tortoise's long claws reached out and touched the leader's side. Two blue hexes of light seemed to radiate out and the leader collapsed, twitching on the floor. The archer fired. The tortoise let the arrow embed itself into the staff. He pulled it out and threw it back. It struck the archer on the knee and he cried out in pain.

_Two down, nine to go_, thought Shang dryly. _But this guy is good. Could he be Kamon?_

Three attacked at a time. The tortoise ducked underneath and tripped one. Jumping up, he kicked the slaver in the stomach, sending his body to be suddenly stopped by a sturdy tree trunk. The two others recovered and kicked out while slashing at him with their swords. The staff reached out and touched one in the heart and it dropped without another movement. The other sword was also blocked by the staff of the tortoise. The third was dispatched likewise.

The rest of the fight went rather one-sidedly and as the last slaver dropped, the tortoise walked over to the three felines and bowed.

"Kamon Fangwu, at your service."

"Thank you, Kamon," said Tai, amazed at what he just saw.

"It was nothing. Now, what can I do for you?"

"If you can just direct us to the Valley of Peace and maybe, if you're okay with it, give us a little provisions, we will be on our way," said Mei.

Kamon shook his head.

"I'll do that. But, tell me, tiger, do you know how to fight? The other's seemed ready and rock solid – but you, you wavered and were unsure about yourself."

Tai was shocked. What was Kamon talking about? Why was he suddenly asking about this?

"No, not really. I don't believe in fighting at all really," confessed Tai.

"Okay. Now, do you know how to defend yourself?"

"No. I studied kung fu under the masters at Mengyou City but I just can't do it."

Kamon smiled.

"Perfect. You know, I am the nephew of Oogway. I came here looking for him after he left our home island. When I finally found him, he showed me the ways of yin and yang, of harmony and focus, of kung fu. I was elated. I studied vigorously underneath him and I left to start my own dojo. I built it here in the forest because of the peace. No one has come to study under me. I would love it if I were to have one student and I was wondering if you might be able to become it."

Tai was honored that the tortoise was willing to teach him, but he had to warn the Valley of Peace.

"I can't. We have to warn the Valley of Peace and the Furious Five about an army coming to them."

Kamon suddenly laughed. It was a low, gravelly sound deep in his throat.

"Are you talking about an army led by _wolves_?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Follow me," said Kamon and turned around. Tai shrugged at Shang and Mei and they followed Kamon to a pond in the back of the cabin. Kamon dipped the tip of his staff into the water and it cleared. The stars became crystal clear in the night sky and Tai could have sworn they moved in a certain direction. Some burned brighter than others while others were dim, barely seen on the massive navy blue canvas.

"These stars aren't the reflection of the sky above, these are the reflection of _life_," whispered Kamon. "May I know your names?"

"I am Tai," said Tai, then, he pointed to his friends and spoke their names accordingly. "This is Shang and the other is Mei."

Kamon bowed.

"Well, then. You are here, three bright stars against the dull sky. These clusters represent the cities and the villages. If you look close enough, you can almost make out the shape of the area. Here is the Valley of Peace and here is the army you speak of. Untold numbers, but each dim stars except six bright stars. Look, one has six smaller inside it. The army you speak of it months away and if you were to get there and speak of the danger, you would be scoffed at not months later because they would not come until it was too late to reverse what has been done. I'll make you a deal. You train with me for however long it takes for this army to reach this point." Kamon made a circle with his claw on the star map and a faint red glow appeared in that area. "Then, you may leave, only this time, stronger and unafraid to stand up for yourself. I can teach your friends too and I can help all of you. I already am sensing what you can improve on, but it is for you to decide, not me."

Shang called them over, away from the old tortoise who continued to gaze into the star pond.

"Should we trust him?"

"Wi did, why shouldn't we?" said Mei. "And if Tai's spear bearing ancestors almost forced us to come here, I guess we should stay. What about you, Tai?"

Tai was in deep thought and he struggled with what to say. If the tortoise was wrong, the Valley of Peace was fall and it would be their fault. If they left and the tortoise was right, then they would still loose the Valley of Peace.

_Stay, he can help you with the curse, Tai_.

Tai heard the voice of Li and he made his decision right then.

"I vote we should stay."

Shang nodded.

"Alright then. Uh, Kamon? I guess we are going to stay."

Kamon smiled.

"I'm glad you are. Now, I'm going to quickly say that I would like it if you were to call me Master and my first exercise is for you to set the unconscious animals on the raft you can find over there and send them down the river."

Shang and Mei put their fist to their palm and bowed.

"As you wish, Master."

They were both used to this kind of training, though studying under Kamon was going to very different, they speculated. Tai lagged behind, imitating the two. He finally bowed and began to help the other two with the bodies, but Kamon stopped him for a moment.

"You studied under the masters of Mengyou City you say. Did they teach you well and do you know the posses and the positions along with the teachings?"

Tai nodded, it was still in his mind, every single move – defense or offense – was lodged their and wouldn't come out.

"Ah, even better. I guess I'm just going to have to help you to actually do them. This will make training go by much faster. Now, carry on."

The bodies were cleared quickly with the three of them working together. It was alien how suddenly they had come to accept Kamon as their master. It was literally overnight, not even that much time! Still, they felt at home with him and Tai assured them that his ancestor had told him it was right to do so.

As Tai lay on the wooden floor with a thin mat beneath him to provide some comfort, he could hear the wind spring to life and rustle the grass and tree leaves. It battered softly against the door and the stout cabin, giving it a cozy feeling. The small fire gave a soft glow to the room that now served as the living room, dining hall, bedroom, and study. As Tai felt his eyelids grow heavy, he heard Senlin-Mu called out, his voice coming through the wind,

"_Surprise."_


	18. To the Unknown

A/N: Here is the third one I promised from the three new chapters. And this one I strictly on the original characters. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>The blue sky had turned overcast – in other words, a dismal grey, and Tigress hated it. The dark clouds dampened their spirits, as low as they were already. She heard Po shouted as he accidentally stubbed his toe on a protruding rock. The trail they had been able to pick out continued to lead them in this one direction, not deterring from anything beside this casually wondering path, ultimately taking them in one direction. The assassins trail had started to lead them to higher ground and now they could look down at a vertigo inducing drop. The sides of the mountains were slanted, so the fall wouldn't be straight down, just a painful slide to their death.<p>

Every step they took, it seemed too subtracted from the vigor of the chase and they grew weary from running everyday. Even Tigress, who had the most zeal for this, was beginning to truly wonder if this was what Oogway was talking about. Had she let anger control her and was she leading her friends on a useless journey. Revenge wasn't all what it makes out to be – most of the time.

Tigress looked up at the peaks of the mountains; they were still hundreds, if not thousands, of feet taller than where they stood. And that was despite the fact that they were already at least a hundred, maybe close to hundred and fifty, feet high. A flash of orange and red high above them on the side of the mountain on the trail caught her attention. The possibility of a fire was slim to none, with most of the vegetation up their unlikely to catch flame. A small shower of gravel came from the side and landed above them on other parts of the winding path.

"Crane!" Tigress called. Crane looked up and flew over when she motioned him over.

"Yeah?"

"Fly up there and tell me what you see. Near that area right there. Yep, that one."

The avian lifted off, flying higher and higher until he soared above them effortlessly. The crane veered to the side, gliding on the updrafts that blew off the side of the mountain. Crane felt the warm air ruffle his feathers. It was good right now to stretch his wings. He saw the other five running doggedly below, their bright colored furs – or scales or exoskeleton – in stark contrast with the grayscale background. Crane studied them for a moment. How they must envy him right now, able to fly and soar above the troubles that road possessed. If only they could all fly, they would have caught the assassins by now and delivered justice, as Po would have put it. Crane flew from each ledge, trying to remember which one Tigress had pointed out to him. From down there, each one seemed the same. From his vantage point now, everything still looked the same. Just a stone trail cut from the side of the mountain, going up and down in no particular manor. Crane did a flyby by one of them, then the next, and finally the one Crane _did _think Tigress might have been pointing at. There was nothing along the side or on it at all. Crane started to dive down, but changed his mind. He started to climb, beating his wings to gain the altitude he needed to see above the next intervals of the mountain. As soon as he passed two, he was glad he did. He saw three animals, a fox, a crocodile, and a rabbit, and working furiously at a pile of rocks. They were hammering away at it and he saw some of the rocks slip and fall. What were those idiots doing?

_Probably getting more rocks for their skulls. After all, don't they have rocks for brains?_

Crane laughed silently at his private joke. Suddenly, a fracture appeared and the fox threw in a handful of red power. A couple of small wooden barrels lay next to the pile of rocks and the crack that had been so recently made. What were the barrels for…? Crane squawked out loud when he saw a spark come from something the rabbit held. That was gunpowder, the stuff that Shen had used for his cannons! He had been told that miners used gunpowder to clear large areas quickly and somehow these animals had gotten their paws on some! He must warn the others.

The wind shrieked past his hears in a high pitch whine as Crane dive bombed from where he was to where his friends were. There was no way to tell when they would light the fuse. The rockslide they were going to set off was set to hit ahead of them, but at the pace Tigress was leading at, she and the closest one or two where going to be crushed instantly. He cawed loudly, trying to get someone's attention. Po turned around and his eyes widened. Po began to wave his arms frantically in the air, like he was trying to direct Crane elsewhere.

_He thinks I'm going to crash_, Crane thought dryly. _I won't. _

Crane pulled up suddenly, and flapped his wings feverishly to decelerate himself to a reasonable speed to land. As soon as his claws touched the ground he didn't let Po started to speak.

"Tigress!" Crane called to the tiger.

She didn't seem to hear here and she kept on running. Crane was running out of time and if he didn't stop her, she would die and that would be a _crushing_ blow. A loud _boom_ and report of thousands of shards of rock collapsing and plummeting down suddenly rent the air and still Tigress didn't slow. Crane groaned, he was too late…unless…

"Tigress! Stop now!"

If a bird could roar, Crane did so. His voice reached Tigress like an arrow from a bow and she stopped immediately, sensing the urgency that carried in his voice. She stopped and turned around to face back at Crane. Everyone, the four other Masters and the Dragon Warrior simply pointed up the mountain. Tigress's eyes went wide with shock as she finally saw the rock hurling down at her. She sprinted back to her friends, dodging the rocks that had been first in the rockslide. Tigress let her training take over. She had to treat the rocks like they were enemies. She slid under one and flew over another. The tiger practically danced through the rocks as they became more numerous. She had to make it out of the area before the full blow the rockslide hit. Po watched with awe as she bobbed and weaved around the rocks, almost like she was a spider spinning a beautiful web with uncanny precision of where to land and where to not. But, the dance ended as a large rock tripped Tigress by landing on her tail, making her loose her balance and pulling her back. She fell flat on the floor, the rain of rocks still coming down like from twisted storm cloud. Her anger had led her here, hadn't it?

No, she wouldn't give up! Just like Po hadn't given up, even though they had hated him, she wouldn't give up and she would triumph over a small victory such as this. Failure couldn't be in her vocabulary – at least at this moment. She got up and moved forward. She could see her friends running toward her, paws held out in front of them. A large rock came down on her skull and the lights of the world went strangely dim.

* * *

><p>It was like she couldn't breathe. It felt like the weight of a thousand Jade Palaces rested on her chest. Tigress couldn't move her left arm, but her right arm was trapped. No pain came from it though, which was good. At least she hadn't broken it. The tip of her tail throbbed, but she could still move it. Her good fortune continued. Her legs moved still, only slight pain came from her ankle. But, like her right arm, her legs were trapped, immobilized. She just couldn't move them. The rocks shifted and a little bit of light came through. She squinted. Her eyes had become accustomed to the darkness. But, if light came through and she could see the clouds above, then her voice could reach out from underneath!<p>

Fear then pierced her heart. How long had she been under here? Her friends could have very easily given up searching for her and have continued on without her, believing her to be dead. Her brow furrowed, but that wasn't how Po would act. None of them would act like that. Tigress knew Po's heart was bigger than his stomach – with his stomach being quite large. Po would _never_ just give up and leave. They would continue to look for her. They would clear the entire rockslide to make sure their friend was all right. Tigress took as deep as a breath as she could and let her voice ring from her stony tomb,

"I'm here! Po! Monkey! Viper! Mantis! Crane! Anyone! I'm under here!"

She called this over and over again, eagerly expecting her friends to instantly come rushing over and help her out. No help came. Had they really just got up and left? Given up on her and called her dead to them? She heard rocks moving on the other side, but then they grew silent. Rocks above her head moved and, like the others, they too grew silent. A faint voice called out her name, but it moved away. They were looking for her! Only, they were looking for her in the wrong places.

"I can fix that," Tigress told herself. Using her free arm, she began to select rocks above and around her, careful to make sure none of the rocks she picked were to bring the entire interlocking structure the rocks had formed around her from crashing down. Piece by piece, rock by rock, she slowly began to make progress. At, what she guessed were five or so minute intervals, she would shout out that she was indeed underneath the rocks. Her left paw finally shot out from were she lay. She felt fresh air waft around her fur and travel down to where she was. The air tasted so much better than the stale air that had become to fill the small entombment. A scaly, snakelike body wrapped around her paw and squeezed. It was Viper!

"Tigress, are you okay? Is anything broken?"

Tigress smiled. Her friends hadn't deserted her. Why had she even thought something like that? Viper called the rest over and they worked with excitement. They had found Tigress! Better yet, they didn't just find her dead body, they had found her alive and, somewhat, well! They worked on getting her legs free of the rocks first. They were as shocked as Tigress was when they saw that her legs were fine besides the bruises that ran up and down her legs. There were no broken bones and her ankle wasn't twisted, it just stung. Her right arm was free minutes later with them all working together and at last, the victorious moment when Tigress was lifted out from underneath the rock. Tigress breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you all very much, I don't know what I would have done without you," said Tigress. Her voice was filled with gratitude.

"Ah, don't mention it," said Po with a wave of his hand. "Least we could do for you. Consider it a thank you for that cannonball you took for me. Those things hurt!"

They laughed, letting the stress and anxiety of the day go. It was true that they were on a mission, but right now, they needed to rest. Tigress had let herself get too overworked and she had been deaf to Crane's voice, even though she had told him to go and search up there in the first place. Now, now she knew that she needed to be calm and not let anger overtake her. Yes, Oogway had told her that before, many times in the past, yet she had struggled to do so. Today and always afterwards, she would try her hardest. Her friends had just saved her life and she needed to be wise as their unofficial leader.

"We should camp here," said Tigress, gesturing around at where the rockslide had finally halted in its destructive path. "The sun has almost set and I'm sure you are tired from your search."

"Uh, yeah, thanks Tigress," said Mantis. He seemed unsure of himself and he had a reason to be. Tigress had never, _ever_, stopped until after the sun had fully disappeared and the moon had risen just above the horizon. Now she had stopped before the sun was even halfway gone and the sky was a red and orange and yellow, like some painter had gather those three colors and thrown them across the sky indifferently.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Tigress asked with no real exasperation in her voice.

"Absolutely none!" called out Po who immediately sat down and began to kindle a small fire from the fuel he got out from his pack. Mr. Ping had put together a bunch of items they would need on their journey and so far the most precious was the dwindling amount of firewood and the tinder. They could forage for food and their training allowed them to go extended periods of time without food or water, though it left them weak. Dinner was passed around and they were all finished and quite satisfied by the time the stars started to come out from hiding.

Po munched on a dumpling that had been handed out to him. They had each received a dumpling. This was a treat because dumplings weren't usually packed for long missions. He chewed slowly, savoring the flavor that filled his mouth.

"This is good!"

Monkey snickered. Po said almost everything was good, so he wasn't surprised when Po had exclaimed that loudly. But, that was one dumpling he had kept an eye on for a while. Mantis and Monkey had sprinkled some Fire Pepper powder inside the dumpling and had made sure they knew which one it was. It was a joke they had been waiting to play on the panda for a while and here it came. Soon, the pepper would kick in and Po would be running around for water, tears running down his face as the burn of the pepper took hold. It never came, instead a sudden roar of surprised came from Tigress. Monkey and Mantis flinched and turned slowly to look at the tiger. This wasn't going to end well for them. Tigress dove for the canteen of water and drank as much as she could to quench the fiery sensation. Panting, trying to let cool air sooth her mouth, Tigress lay down.

"What did you guys put in that?"

Po walked over to the half eaten dumpling and casually popped it in his mouth. He let the dumpling's angry flavor roll over his tongue as he chewed and then swallowed. He smacked his lips.

"Fire Pepper and _wow_! That stuff is good, though a bit too much spice and not much flavor I gotta say. Usually you use it in small amounts but whoever made this dumpling put, like, a couple teaspoons in it."

Tigress sat up and took another swig of water, swishing it around in her mouth, desperately trying to get rid of the Fire Pepper. She let her tongue hand out of her mouth. She probably looked stupid, but right now, her mouth burned and she didn't care. As long as it cooled the spice down, she was fine with it.

"Who did that?" she demanded, searching their faces. Crane and Viper both looked at Mantis and Monkey. Her eyes narrowed and Monkey gave her a weak smile. Mantis's cricket like chirp came in place of facial expressions. Monkey tried to explain.

"It was for Po, but you got it instead. Oops."

"Oops is right, next time make sure you know which one!"

Monkey and Mantis waited for her to pounce up and take her revenge right there. Tigress didn't move at all. She just sat their, continuing to cool her mouth.

"You expect me to retaliate?" asked Tigress.

"Kinda," Mantis said.

"Then you are wrong. I'm not going to," said Tigress as she folded her arms across her chest. _Right now_, she thought. _I'd just watch your back, because you won't know when it will come_.

Mantis and Monkey were relieved. They had somehow escaped Tigress's wrath. After moments of silence Tigress decided to tell her ultimatum to her friends.

"I know it's been a long time since we have left the Jade Palace and I'm sure you are tired. Don't get me wrong, I am tired too. So, if you don't want to continue, you can go back home to the Palace. I won't hold anything against you. It doesn't matter to me. If you stay, I am glad. If you go back home, I am still glad; you came this far with me and that is more than a friend could ask for."

"Why do you say that?" asked Viper. "We will all follow you until _you_ have reached your goal."

"But we haven't even been anywhere close to catching them!" Tigress said, almost pleading them to look past their friendship.

Po was troubled at the way Tigress was acting. It wasn't like her to ask her friends to go away if they didn't want to. She usually always took charge of them and listened accordingly to what they suggested. They were a team and Tigress seemed like she didn't want to continue on being a team. Po thought harder. There _must_ be a reason why Tigress was acting like this. Her eyes still kindled the fire that usually burned within, but her voice was different. It was…what was it? Po snapped his fingers together in frustration. The noise silenced the camps. Po blushed. This was a bit embarrassing.

"Where you going to say something?" asked Crane.

Po's embarrassment grew. He started to stutter.

"No, uh, of course, I mean, no. Where you?"

Crane glanced back and forth at the eyes that were now looking at him.

"No. I thought you were. You did snap right now."

"Now? What are you talking about? I didn't snap my fingers."

Crane looked at Po suspiciously. The rest of the Masters were struggling to hide their smiles at the comical conversation.

"Yeah you did. I heard you. You guys heard him too, right?"

Tigress shrugged. Monkey just shook his head in mirth. Mantis and Viper made their smiles disappear and they turned on their best deadpan. Po kept his own face as straight as he could.

"Yeah, I didn't snap my fingers."

Crane flapped his wings, clearly aggravated with it all. Po couldn't hold it in. He got up and laughed.

"Alright Crane, I did snap my finger and for a good reason to. I figured out what I need to do."

Crane nodded, still annoyed that they had ganged up on him like that. Nobody asked what Po had figured out and the panda was glad for that. It was something that he was sure Tigress wouldn't want to answer in front of the rest of them. Po let the night mature, and as they each, one by one, went to sleep, Po got up and walked over to Tigress. He had to handle this correctly or he would upset Tigress.

"Hey, uh, Tigress, I was thinking, that if you're fine with it, if I could ask you a quick question," Po said. He rubbed the back of his head. "I guess it's kinda personal."

Tigress's eyelids snapped open and they revealed her stunning, not to mention bright, ocher eyes. They bore into Po's soul and he forced himself to look away. Po still had a special place for Tigress in his heart, but he couldn't let – a relationship – get in the way right now while he was talking to her.

"What?" she asked, though not unkindly.

Po sat heavily next to her and looked straight ahead.

"I don't think your okay," he stated bluntly. He cringed as soon as he said it. That wasn't very sensitive now was it? Po waited for the rebuttal, but Tigress only sighed and gave a slight chuckle.

"You know, Po, you are right."

"I knew it! Uh, why?"

"I'm going to be honest with you, Po, I'm scared."

Po went slack jawed. Tigress scared? Impossible. But, Tigress wasn't lying; Tigress was telling the truth.

"What?" he asked incredulously. "From those dudes up ahead?"

Tigress shook her head.

"I am afraid of no one but myself."

Po let himself process that for a while. He hadn't ever thought of something like that of someone as awesome as Tigress. She was a Master at controlling chi, herself, and her emotions. Then how, how did this differ from anything else?

"Yourself?" asked Po for clarification. "Why yourself?"

Tigress looked up at the moon and saw peach leaves floating across the sky in front of the moon.

"I am afraid that I am letting anger and grief cloud my discernment. I try everyday to stop myself from becoming blind to what is in front of me, but everyday I see Master Shifu's body lying on the jade floor and I feel the anger again. I didn't think much of it before, actually, it was just another battle. But today, when the rocks fell around me and I was trapped, I realized how much anger and grief _had_ blinded me. I didn't even hear Crane calling out that I was headed straight toward danger. Just the thought of me tearing apart those who killed Master Shifu filled my mind. Underneath those rocks, I retreated into myself and what when I saw that I was, I was afraid. Oogway warned me about that and now I am embracing what he told me without any questions. So, _that_, Po, is why I am afraid. I don't want to lead you guys into danger like I led myself. I won't have it. Better to suffer for my own mistakes that to let others suffer with or instead of me."

Po didn't know what to say. This was the most Tigress had ever let anyone know what she truly felt. At the same time, he received some much from this little insight of the Master of the Tiger style. They were all close friends and thus it should stay, nothing more. Tigress didn't want any of them hurt and she was scared that she would hurt them because of her own misguidance.

"Hey, don't worry about it. We trust you Tigress and that means we trust that you won't lead us away from where we should be going. All you need to do is ask and anyone of us will be there to help. Heck, even Mantis will probably help, though I doubt you'll get anything from him. We will help you where you need help and, besides, if we weren't with you, we could've warned you about those rocks and helped you out. I think that we should as just stick together."

Tigress smiled.

"Thank you, Po, you've done it again. How we could live without you now, I don't know."

Po shoved Tigress playfully on the shoulder.

"That's what friends are for, right?"

Po meant it. No longer would he dream of romance under the stars. No, it was a friend that was better right now, more than anything else. A friend was something they all needed and a close friend was something that couldn't be more valuable.

* * *

><p>A golden sun rose, taking command of the sky once more as the moon sank down. The stars began to disappear from their lofty height as the sky took on the light blue hue of the day. The pile of rocks lay motionless behind their camp and the drop to the bottom was still next to them as well. The early bedtime accompanied by, in their eyes, sleeping in let them all awake feeling rather refreshed. Po stretched luxuriously. He got up and popped his back. He yawned and blinked. He scratched his round bottom and started to go through his pack in search of breakfast. Around him, the Furious Five also rose and started to prepare for the day of chasing before them.<p>

"So, what are we going to have for breakfast?" asked Po, his head still in the pack.

"Something light," said Viper. "I don't feel like eating a lot right now."

"Okay…how about some tofu?"

"Sure."

Po got out the tofu and a cutting knife and divided up the tofu they had. The breakfast was light, like Viper had asked for, and they left the campsite in swift pursuit of the assassins. This meant that they had to continue to climb up the mountain that had previously almost came crashing down on Tigress not the day before. Tigress prayed to whoever listened that the assassins didn't have anymore explosives to have the mountain topple on top of them all this time. Tigress, listening to herself and the words of Po from last night, led them all in what she felt was the right course and the right speed. There was no complaint once, though each one noticed the pace wasn't set to as near as fast as before. Po started to punch out in front of him, practicing his Kung Fu, even on the road. It was almost fun to watch Po hit out at the invisible enemies as he blocked and counterattacked them. Po truly was the Dragon Warrior, in all his awesomeness and, uh, largeness. Tigress kept her eyes focused ahead of her and she observed everything around her as well. She needed to be on her guard because what happened yesterday, she swore to herself, would never happen again. This time, anger wouldn't even have a foothold on her and she would have a clear, peaceful mind and outlook. Her decisions wouldn't be clouded by anything that the rage would whisper to her.

The path of the rubble that had collapsed from the top was clear and they crossed it with a sour taste in their mouth as they recalled what had happened. The entire side that had been carved away so long ago to provide a way to traverse the mountains had been ruined except a small portion of it. The walkway was wide enough for animals to go single file across. To the kung fu Masters it was nothing, but they worried about other travelers who weren't masters in the art of balance and kung fu as they were. Tigress noted that they would have to get it repair before anything bad happened. With the destruction of the rockslide cutting through every side of the path they reached, they were forced to go single file each time they were met by that. This slowed them down a bit, but it wasn't too much of a hindrance to their progress. Higher and higher they climbed, chasing after Master Shifu's killers.

Effortlessly, Po cleared a natural break in the stone. The panda thought back to where he could just barely touch his toes. He smiled at the fond memories of his training coupled by the bruises he got by sparring with Tigress or Monkey. Defeating Tai Lung had become his legacy and now he was even more famous for the defeat of Shen's cannons! Now he was on the road to avenging Master Shifu! The bitter memories still rankled Po, but he was glad that he was part of this now. Yes, Master Shifu's killers would be brought to justice and things could be sorted out again. A troubling thought suddenly wedged itself into Po's mind. Who would be the Grandmaster of the Jade Palace now? Who would continue to teach them and help them? Surely other masters would come to take the prestigious honor of become the Jade Palace's Grandmaster, but who would fill in the place.

"Hey, Monkey," Po said out of the side of his mouth.

"Yeah?"

"Who's going to become the next Grandmaster?"

Monkey shrugged.

"We'll figure it out when we get there. Usually it is decided pretty fast."

"All right."

_I hope we get the right one_, thought Po. Just the prospect of a different Grandmaster was vastly alien to him and he had known Master Shifu to a much less extent than say Tigress who had known him for almost all her life. Po continued on running and he watched the Furious Five with that same sense of awe he had felt the first time he fell from the sky right into the middle of them. They were nothing less than amazing and here he was, in the middle of them. He still couldn't shake that feeling; it would never grow old.

Tigress led the other five and herself all through the day. Of course, this was slightly unneeded because the path wasn't too hard to follow. All they needed to do in the mountains right now was to follow the path. Hard as it was, even with almost a full day lead, Tigress was confident they would catch up with them and that thought brought her hope in these excruciating days that lay in front of them right now.

* * *

><p>The day flew by without them really noticing. Currently they had passed the point were the rockslide had been started and they looked upon it with contempt. Nothing good had come from this spot and nothing good would probably ever come from it. The emotional aspect around the epicenter of the rockslide was tedious, but it passed as soon as it was behind them now and, hopefully, forever.<p>

Daylight began to run out and the sky once again took on the colors of twilight as the sun sank. The dark blue color of the night sky overtook the normally brilliant blue and all of China was plunged into nighttime. The overcast clouds that had been there on the day before were now ominous color of a storm cloud. Tigress groaned when she heard the unmistakable sound of thunder sounding within the clouds. Wind had begun to pick up and it blew against the study mountain, buffeting it relentlessly. With the wind speeding the storm to the mountainous area and its vicinity, they would be beset with whatever was in the clouds. Their normal campsite wouldn't do well against the elements like rain or hail and Tigress prayed that it wasn't the latter.

"I don't think we're going to be able to get far enough away from this storm," called Crane to Tigress. As a bird, he knew how to read the wind currents rather well and was extremely accurate when predicting weather – when he felt like it. "We need shelter!"

Tigress stopped running to look up and search for anything that could serve as refuge from what was going to come. The nearest trees had been left behind as soon as they had passed the tree line and there wasn't anything around that they could hide under that could stop the rain.

"How much longer until the storm hits?" asked Tigress, her voice rising above the wind. Lighter rocks started to shift as the wind pushed them around.

"I'd say we have maybe thirty minutes max!" Crane was sure about his answer. "If it's any help, I can fly up again and look for something that could be useful."

Tigress nodded and Crane took flight above the others in search of shelter. The five others continued on, not wasting any time just sitting there and waiting. Crane triumphant caw came down moments later.

"If you give it your best, we can make it to a cave up ahead. It's rather dark but it'll do."

Tigress nodded her thanks and they started back on the trail, this time for the cave and to shelter, not for revenge and for the assassins.

"Ow!" exclaimed Monkey as he was hit in the head by something rather dense. "What did you throw at me Po?"

Monkey turned to expect Po behind him smiling mischievously.

"I didn't throw anything. Ow! Who did that?" said Po. Now they were both looking around for whoever was throwing things at them. Nobody had thrown anything at them and they were searching the rocks for potential attackers when Viper got struck in her midsection. A white, chunky object lay next to the snake's tough body. It rough and was cold.

"Oh Heavens, why?" breathed Tigress. "Hail! Make for the cave. Double time!"

"Don't need to say it twice," said Po, his hands over his head, guarding it from the icy projectiles. A defiant shout came from their throats as they charged into the midst of the sudden onslaught of hail. The frozen balls of water struck each one of them like a punch from an enemy with iron fists and still they continued.

"That's gonna leave a mark," said Mantis as a hailstone crushed his one of his feet. Viper slithered by and picked him up smoothly. There was no halter to their mad dash for the cave. Nature was chasing them now and they had to win. Finally, the cave was in sight. The cavern opened up before them like the maw of some ancient beast. It was cut unevenly into the side of the mountain, more like a mine than a natural cave. A lighting bolt struck somewhere behind them and thunder rumbled instantly. Hail started to pour from the clouds, like the storehouses of Heaven had been opened up.

The hail continued to fall unceasingly from the sky, the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior made their way into the cavern. No longer were they sure if it was natural. Carvings of ancient writing and pictures traced the uneven walls. Some of their precious firewood had been spared for a torch. Very dry pieces of wood, most of it in splinters was found nearer into the cave, or, whatever it was they were in. They lit other torches they found strew around randomly and made the caverns glow with the golden light. The tunnel widened out into a larger room and two doors twice the height of Po were at the back of the square room. The doors were wide open and more stone features could be made out inside the next room. A soft, but barely visible, light came from the next room. Grouping together, they made their way into the next room. Tigress paid close attention to the doors, watching them and almost expecting them to slam shut as soon as they passed their threshold. They didn't. The room they stood in now was bare of anything except a single pulpit at the back of the room with two pillars on each side. Behind it were large stone tablets that towered above it the pulpit. The pulpit was high enough for Tigress or Po to rest their hands on while standing up and was the top was completely flat. The base of the pulpit was slightly smaller than the top because of a slight taper. The tablets that loomed behind it were riddled with writing from the past. The area around the pulpit seemed brighter than the rest of the room. Tigress let herself break her eye on the doors to look at the simple room. A skylight had been cut directly above it and it let starlight and moonlight come in during the night and sunlight come in during the day. Four torches total, though big torches, were at the four corners of the room. Tigress wondered how hail wasn't coming in from the skylight so she broke away from the group to see why. As soon as Tigress left the group, they all sort of went their own ways to look at something in the room that caught their attention. Tigress could hear the hail hitting something that covered the skylight, but didn't know what it was. Finally, she stood under it and saw metal crisscrossing itself, blocking the hail.

"Anybody know what this place is?" asked Po to anyone who would listen. "'Cause I haven't seen anything like this in China before or even heard of it!"

"Same here, Po," said Crane.

"Don't ask me," said Viper when Po looked at her for the answer.

Nobody could say the answer because nobody knew what it was. None of the many texts Master Shifu had them read ever mentioned something like this. Tigress studied the pulpit and the tablets closer. As she bent closer, she felt her nose feel tingly and she sniffled. Suddenly, a tremendous sneeze sent the layer of dust that had settled on the pulpit into the air. With the many specks of dust now floating the air, Tigress coughed but saw the now visible carvings also on the pulpit. The phrase was simple, but it piqued Tigress curiosity. _To the Unknown_. She looked up at the tablets and read the first lines of each one. Each one stated something about the Unknown or the Lost. She read further and her eyes widened when she saw that one word: _Shiluo_. They were in a shrine of the Lost Souls. Or the Shiluo. This occult group was ancient beyond belief and had been almost forgotten. These followers of this had felt bad for the souls that were lost on their way to Heaven and couldn't find their way. They thought they must try to appease them by offering them things to make them happy on this Earth as they tried to find their way to Heaven. The idea had originally been good but as the philosophy progress, it became a darker congregation. Finally, they had been wiped out thousands of years ago and their shrines had been buried. But before they had been eradicated, the followers had placed many traps stop those from further desecrating their places. Shifu had told them of this, but none of the shrines locations had been revealed. They had to tread carefully now.

"Everybody! Be careful," barked Tigress.

"Why? What is it Tigress?" asked Viper.

"There are traps here, this is a Shiluo shrine."

Everyone but Po froze. He very nervously turned around with an obsidian bladed knife in his paw.

"Uh, like what kinda traps?"

Tigress's eyes narrowed.

"Where did you get that?"

Po moved to the side to reveal a small cubicle cut out with prongs that held the knife that Po now had in his hand.

_Perfect face palm_, thought Po as Tigress did exactly that.

"Just put the knife back slowly," said Tigress. Po started to turn back to put the knife away put stumbled over a protruding rock. Something snapped. Po sharply drew in his breath. Everyone else held theirs as they waited for something to happen. Po sighed,

"Maybe the traps are so old they broke down."

"Good thing too, otherwise, who knows what could have happened!" said Mantis, clearly fine now with the fright of a trap being set off thinner. Rope started to unwind and the creak of pulleys undermined all of Po's and Mantis's ideas. Tigress sprinted to the door but they slammed shut.

"You spoke too soon," commented Crane dryly. "Now we're trapped."

"No we're not," growled Tigress. "We'll get up there and we'll be out of here!" Tigress pointed to the skylight and they nodded absently. "For now though, let's just go to bed, we'll figure this out in the morning."

A mutter of slight disappointment arose at being trapped in the ancient shrine, but they did so anyways.

"So, what exactly is the Shiluo philosophy?" asked Po. "Like, how did they 'appease the Lost Souls'?"

Tigress sighed.

"They sacrificed things to them."

Po gulped.

"You mean like, other animals?"

Mantis laughed.

"They weren't that occult, buddy. They just sacrificed stuff that was value to them. Food, clothing, toys, tools, and occasionally money; they never sacrificed lived animals. To them, it would just anger the spirits. They thought that any lost spirit that wasn't pleased on this Earth was an evil spirit. Basically the lost spirit was pissed off at not making it to Heaven. So, they would haunt the living. Not very nice if you ask me."

"That's it? How did they 'sacrifice' stuff?"

Mantis was silent. He didn't know.

"You know that knife you held?" asked Viper. Po nodded. "Yeah? Well they just broke it with that knife. Cut it up, smashed it, or something. It was very symbolic. Just showed that it didn't matter to them anymore and it was theirs - the lost souls."

"Oh, kinda stupid."

Tigress shrugged.

"It is. Besides, from what I know of, the Dragons just scare them away."

"Yep. Hey, does that mean the Dragon Warrior scares them away?"

"No, not necessarily, but I'm sure you could."

Po brought out the obsidian knife from his back pocket.

"Can I keep it? It looks cool."

"Just know its murdered thousands of dumplings and pottery...among other things," said Monkey chuckling. Po put the knife away in his pack.

They had managed a small fire. It sat dancing, eating away at the fire wood, casting light and warmth to them all. The sound of hail had turned to rain. The rhythmic pounding of the water droplets soothed Tigress as she curled up for warmth. Po dropped down heavily and lay down just as so. Soon afterwards, his snores echoed through the chamber. Crane groaned and rolled over, covering his ears. The rest of them had grown used to the panda's thunderous snores. It was almost comforting to their ears. Even in the shrine, trapped and chasing an enemy, Tigress felt peaceful. She hoped sleep would be kind to her as well because a dreamless, deep sleep would be so refreshing right now.

* * *

><p>Tigress felt sunlight stream down on her. She felt soft grass beneath her and the blue sky was bright above her. She reached out to touch the grass. The pristine blades bent easily underneath her paw but sprung right back up as soon as she stopped. Tigress looked around. Nowhere was her friend and the Shiluo shrine was nowhere to be seen. This had to be a dream, like when the Dragon, Xiaofang, and talked to her. But, where was the Dragon or was this a normal dream? Tigress got up and she started to wander around the forest. She stopped and felt the smooth bark of a birch tree. It was impossibly perfect. Tigress looked around and saw two tigers standing at the base of a tall tree. They seemed important somehow and she started to walk, no, run, toward them. Their faces were obscured by the light that shone behind them and no matter how hard she ran she couldn't catch up with them. One of them called out "Tigress" and she felt the urge once more to go to them. She ran as fast as they could but the trees just zoomed past her and the tigers started to fade. The light started to dim and the two tigers disappeared. Tigress stopped reluctantly, still barely moving toward where they had been standing. The darkness consumed everything finally and she was left there standing there alone. No one around her and nobody to share her thoughts with.<p>

_We are not happy, _came a thin, airy voice. _We are lost_, the voice came again. She cringed at it. The voice seemed to seep into her flesh and gnaw at her bones.

"Go away," she murmured. Her mind thought back to the Shiluo. They couldn't be real could they? She had met a Dragon – a real life Dragon – and surely they wouldn't let these lost souls bug her.

_We are lost_, repeated the voice. It was joined by others, chorusing after that one lone voice.

"What can I do?" she asked though she truly did not care. She had her own problems.

_We were happy once…now we are not_.

Tigress sighed in frustration. She knew that already. Tigress got down and tried to fall back into the dreamless sleep that she had had before this came along. After all, this was just a dream right now. Tigress felt herself being jerked up and suddenly, she had the sensation of floating. Still, she could see nothing. Then, two glowing red eyes met hers. They were large and had an almost iridescent sheen to them. The pupils were but black slits in the red glow. She tried to hold their own intense stare but couldn't do it. She looked away. Something seemed to grip her tighter.

_We are growing restless!_ The normally airy, thin voice had become thunderous and loud. It reverberated everywhere and there was nothing she could do to block it out. She tried to cover her ears. She couldn't. The tiger struggled against the invisible grip that crushed her and immobilized her.

"Let me go!"

The grip just got tighter and Tigress stopped and let out a small whimper. Laughter rang out from the red eyes, it was enjoying this. A sudden roar blotted out the eerie laughter. Fire illuminated the darkness but there was still nothing – an abyss of nothing. A red and yellow Dragon streaked down toward the red eyes. Tigress was shocked when she saw fear actually register. It dropped Tigress and it flew back into the unlit abyss. The red Dragon settled down next to Tigress.

"Peace, Tigress," said Xiaofang. "Let them haunt you no more."

Tigress felt herself close her eyes and drift back into peaceful slumber. A final thought of the crooked tailed animal she was supposed to find was the last thing she thought of before she truly was asleep entirely.

* * *

><p>Tigress awoke with a start. Whatever had happened had just happened and it was in the past. There was nothing she could do about it. Xiaofang had chased <em>whatever<em> it had been off and she was safe. She saw Viper staring wide eyed at a small patch of wet rock over at the pulpit.

"You okay?" asked Tigress.

"Just a bad dream," said Viper. "Nothing to be worried of."

Tigress just nodded slowly, unsure if it was a sign or not. The hail had stopped and Tigress managed to find a way up to the skylight. After all, the pillars made it extremely easy to bounce from one to the other and therefore to the top. Tigress cut through the rusted metal with her claws and as the metal grating fell to the floor with a clang, she dropped to the floor beneath her with an easy landing. The noise from the grating woke Po up quite suddenly. Mumbling about breakfast, Po, half awake, handed out some of the bean buns. Tigress grimaced at the breakfast of bean buns but ate it anyways – defiantly not her favorite breakfast. Tigress showed them how they could use the pillars to make their way up to the skylight and soon they were all out of the Shiluo shrine.

"Goodbye!" called Po down to the now empty shrine. "And I hope I never see you again!"

"You probably won't, Po," said Tigress. "Now let's catch up to those assassins!"

The escape from the shrine surprisingly left each one of them with a new vigor and a sense of accomplishment. The chase seemed less daunting now that they had hurdled not one, but two obstacles. A rockslide and an ancient shrine had both bee overcome and now nothing could really stand in their way – theoretically speaking. Tigress took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air. A sudden burst of excitement came from Tigress and they all looked at the usually stoic tiger with interest. Tigress actually blushed.

"Sorry, but the tracks start to become more close together. That means they aren't moving as fast. They are _walking_! And they are headed down the mountain and back toward the forest!"

"Its good that their walkin'," said Po. "But why is it good that they are heading to the forest, that means that their tracks will be harder to follow, right?"

"Yes and no," admitted Tigress. "No, what's good is that it is bringing us closer to the Valley of Peace! Once we're finished, we won't have to go as far to get back home!"

They smiled at the thought of the assassins almost leading them back home – it was a humorous thought.

"How far to the Valley of Peace is it actually?" asked Viper. "We've been away from quite some time and I hope they are faring alright."

"I'm sure they are," said Monkey. "Otherwise they would have sent us something."

Tigress nodded.

"Let's go."

They set off running once more and the days passed on as they ran. Tigress could almost feel the assassins getting closer. But now, a new problem arose. Her sleep was no longer truly restful. The red eyes stared back at her accusingly and with menace. She hid her face from them but she could still sense her presence.

"When will it end?" she asked herself bitterly one night.

The fiery voice of Xiaofang filled her mind.

"When the time is right, cub. When the time is right. _Peace!_"

The strange sense of peace crept over Tigress and she slept soundly.

* * *

><p>The red eyes squinted in pleasure. The seeds of darkness had been planted and they would sprout. Until then, it could wait. And yes, it would wait, no matter how long it needed to wait. It would.<p> 


	19. Adding To Your Numbers

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I was going through and fixing up some of my chapters. Made Tai seem a bit too young in the beginning chapters, so I redid some stuff and now he is older. Go ahead and reread the beginning 6 if you don't believe me (or you do, so don't reread them...)

I know this chapter is a bit long, one of my longest and I know that this isn't focused around the original characters but please don't skip it! I have everything tied in so skipping chapters isn't good. Some of you might be skipping chapters, I don't know but from what the Traffic Stats says, people might. Please don't.

Thanks for continuing to read. Don't worry, the next chapters will have the original characters in them. Promise.

* * *

><p>Canku felt a sharp tug on his paw. He looked down to see Chen, his first born son, hanging from it. He shook the cub off. The young wolf fell on the floor. No sound of pain came from him as he got up back and attacked at his father's paw. Canku grinned at the pitiful attempt to climb up his chair but he was impressed by the determination of the cub.<p>

"You've got courage, I'll give you that," muttered Canku with slight contempt. A sudden weight was added to his lap. He whirled around to see his other cub, another son by the name of Ling on his lap. A wagging tail from a ball of fluff was by his footpaws. Another one appeared. It was Nuan and Wen, two of his three daughters. Canku groaned as he pushed them away. They laughed hysterically. To them, like it was a game. The two little wolf pups moved directly back to where they were at his feet. Canku sighed in exhaustion. His mate just had to have sextuplets. Now, where were the other two? Zuihou and Xiaoa were the youngest of the six and by far the mellowest. Xisong walked over and picked up Nuan and Wen. The young wolves squealed with delight. Xisong sat in the chair next to Canku.

"You just had to have six, didn't you?" growled Canku for at least the fiftieth time. He was exhausted from chasing the 'little bastards', as he called them, around. He was tired of taking care of them. Wolf pups grew fast but he wished they grew up faster. He didn't want to have to really look out after them constantly! No, he needed to focus on more important matters. What were they again? Oh, yes…conquering China! Canku huffed then sank down into his chair. He stared wearily, still feeling the pull on his arm from Chen. Ling sat happily on his lap still, playing with whatever one of the soldiers had given him.

The soldiers, surprisingly, had grown fond of the younglings. The pups weren't even a full year of age and they already crawled, in some cases ran, around with knives that the soldiers gave them. The pups could barely speak, but it didn't matter to the army. They enjoyed chasing the pups around and to them it was the most fun they had, besides battle. The pups were hearing and learning things that a young one such as these should never hear. The veterans and recruits of the army swore and cursed constantly, regardless of whoever was around them. That meant the Canku and Xisong's pups would come back to the tent parroting whatever they heard that day in their halting speech. The soldiers would sometimes give the younglings some of their weapons and let them play around with it. The baby wolves would stare at in awe and squeal with delight as they waved it around. To them, it was a game. To Xisong, it was letting them explore; to Canku, though, it was preparing them for the army and to command at his right side someday.

Canku watched with bored interest at Ling. The second oldest of the litter was a climber and he threw things with surprising power and accuracy – for a pup. The little Ling eyed his two sisters as they bounced on Xisong's lap. He took the piece of steel a soldier had given him and was about to throw it before Canku stopped him.

"As fun as it would be, I don't think you should do that," he suggested to the little pup in what he thought was a fatherly tone. Ling seemed to get the picture and went back to looking at his reflection in it. Xisong turned to Canku.

"These two do everything together," she said, motioning to Nuan and Wen. "I haven't seen them apart from each other after they learned to crawl and walk a little."

"Really?" asked Canku. He was still bored. He was itching for a brawl or a fight. A battle would be even better.

"Yes, they make a good team too," she continued, obviously proud at two of her three daughters.

"I haven't noticed," drawled the male wolf. Canku suddenly roared in pain. "Ah, you little bastard! Why did you do that?"

Chen, not able to pull his father to his level, had bitten Canku with sharp, little teeth. The oldest pup clapped his paws together, happy that he bit his father.

"Dada!"

"Yes! I am your _dada_, you've said that before! What do you want, you little twerp!"

"Play!"

Canku eyed Chen and then looked at his paw. The wolf pup had drawn blood and there were the teeth marks to prove it. Canku suddenly smiled.

"I'll play with ya! You best run!"

Canku almost pushed Ling off his lap. Ignoring his cries of protest, Canku started crawling quickly toward Chen. The wolf pup shrieked in both terror and happiness as he started to crawl away. Canku snarled and lashed out at Chen, knocking the pup over. Xisong tensed, wondering what her mate was going to do. She could never tell what Canku was going to do with the pups. Canku crawled over to the pup on the floor and got on top of him. Chen turned over and looked straight into Canku's face. Canku snarled, baring his teeth. To his surprise, Chen didn't flinch. Instead, he just roared back. Well, tried to roar. It came out like something between a loud mewl and a quiet yowl. Canku got up and helped the little wolf to its feet too. Chen wobbled a bit as he steadied himself then followed his father back to his chair. Xisong had watched the entire thing with curiosity.

"This little boy's not afraid," said Canku finally, looking at Chen with newfound interest. "He didn't seem scared at all. A fighter, not a runner."

Xisong nodded and continued to bounce Nuan and Wen on her lap. The baby wolves had grown quiet and were starting to drift off to sleep. Ling had crawled away and had perched himself on one of the crossbeams in the pavilion. He didn't look at all like he was going to fall, so Xisong left him there. She placed the two girls on their sleeping mats and walked over to Chen who had started to yawn. Xisong guided Chen over to his own mat and watched as he fell asleep as well. Ling suddenly lost balance and fell. Canku caught him with ease and handed him to Xisong.

"Do you know where Zuihou and Xiaoa are?" he asked.

"No. Kar!"

The snow leopard appeared from where he had been outside the tent and stood at attention. He eyed the sleeping pups with envy. How he wished to be able to sleep like that sometimes. To just be able to sleep and not have any true responsibilities yet still be lavished upon must be the life.

"Yes, milord and milady," he said, throwing up a salute.

Xisong walked over to the snow leopard before speaking.

"Do you know where Zuihou and Xiaoa are?" she said.

"Do not worry, I will find them," he said. Xisong nodded and Kar did an about-face. His face remained impassive but inwardly he seethed with frustration. He was tired of playing nanny for the two youngest wolf pups! They always seemed to get themselves lost in the camp. Like Canku, he couldn't wait until they grew up and could take care of themselves. Then, he wouldn't have to watch them like a hawk – though he never did care for the bird kind. He marched smartly over to a particular green patch of grass where Zuihou could usually be found. Sure enough, there was he was, watching a game that was being played by the soldiers. Kar hadn't known the game as much, but he just knew it involved a ball and some sort of goal.

"Come here, Zuihou," Kar sighed as he scooped him up. Zuihou pouted. He wanted to watch the game so he fought against the strong snow leopard. Kar just gripped him tighter and Zuihou cried out. "Tell you what, if you behave, I'll put you down and you can just follow me. How about that?" Zuihou shook his head; he would behave. "Good, now tell me where you sister is."

* * *

><p>Kun sat in the tent and in the gloom. He felt Sun's thin tail wrap around him from between the wire mesh cage that had been placed around them post escape. There was a now constant, if barely noticeable, sour mood in the tent. Nobody felt the same after they had failed at escaping the wolves and their army. It didn't fare any better for them after they had also witnessed the skinning alive of Timoteo. Such a terrible fate to be made into a blanket. Kun had watched in disgust as Xisong had flourished the ghastly blanket once it had been completed. The blanket itself wasn't terrible. It had been made by rather excellent sewers and had incredible craftsmanship, but the history and material behind it gave it its dark characteristic.<p>

The cages had been a terrible physiological blow as well. No longer did they have that tiny amount of dignity that they had clung too. Now they were animals in cages, treated like dumb beasts. Yes, words were spoken to them and the prison guards knew that they were sentient, but their treatment spoke only of the hatred the army harbored for them. Kun sighed and tried to lean back, but the scabs on his back started to split open and the pain became unbearable. He clenched his teeth and lay down all the way. The simple motioned allowed for some scabs to fully break and let the raw skin become exposed. The tender skin against the grass made him grit his teeth, but soon it became a dull feeling he deposited at the back of his mind. He let a long, even breath and tried to relax, if you could call it that.

Aleksey stared at the once noble tiger trying to lie down. He glanced at Kun's wife, Sun, as she groomed herself, something small that still reminded her of home. The snow fox looked at them with pity. The Heavens knew that they deserved something better and should still be living in their home. The odium of the wolves' from Aleksey grew every day. Already they had gone and crushed five villages and a couple of townships. Each one had been subjected to the same fate: annihilation. If the people cooperated out of pure desperation, troops and a temporary governor was placed over them. When the village or town refused to cooperate, they were obliterated. Prisoners were taken and beaten senseless until the wolves felt their punishment was sufficient. What appalled him the most were the youth of the wolves' army. The young ones, from the youngest of age to the late adolescence were allowed to view the acts of violence and murder. Some of the teenage animals had even been allowed into the battles and skirmishes. Here were young animals coming back and already having killed a fellow being. Some weren't even seventeen! Aleksey shook his head and retreated back to his side of the now divided cage. What was worse, he had witnessed firsthand all of this. The wolves' had taken him out, intoxicated him, and there he was, fighting the wolves' battle alongside teenagers and other killers. Damn them. He hoped they would all die and their children would suffer a fate like it. From the grief he had seen from Sun when the news of her son, Tai, being killed, he knew the pain from Xisong would be tenfold and would tear her heart in two, rendering her useless - or killing machine hellbent with fury.

_If she had a heart_, he thought darkly. For all he knew, it might not even affect the heartless couple. He snorted in disgust and turned away to face the black fabric of the tent.

Sun carefully combed her fur with a brush a particularly sympathetic guard had given her. The guard had noticed the bedraggled and mangy fur on them all. The next day he had brought them some hygiene items. Some brushes and combs, mint leaves (for their breath), and a little bit of soap. The soap he explained didn't need water to bathe in, so it was accepted happily. Sun smiled when she remembered the guard. He had shown kindness that she thought this army could never possess. There was a speck of goodness in everyone and she knew that. It was just a matter of digging it up and revealing it.

The tent flap suddenly moved, letting in some of the outside light. Sun turned, expecting Kun or Aleksey to stir from their position. Sun then noticed the even up and down movement of Kun's chest. He was asleep. Aleksey was clearly not in himself right now. She turned and waited for the guard to come in and carry them away for torturing or whatever the wolves pleased that day. No one came in yet the entrance had moved. Sun was slightly puzzled until she felt two small paws on her leg. Sun nearly yelped and fell over when she saw a baby wolf sitting next to her leg and touching a spot of black fur and then a spot of orange fur. The young wolf girl - whose fur was a light grey - was clearly intrigued by the prospect of orange and black fur. Sun waited for someone else to come through and collect the little girl, but none came.

"Hello, sweetie, how are you?" Sun whispered. The wolf girl looked up with big, round, violet eyes. She got up and walked slowly, but steadily, behind Sun. She grabbed her tail and also inspected the difference in color. Sun pointed out a black spot on her tail.

"Black," she said then pointed to an orange spot. "Orange."

The wolf girl smiled and let the tail drop to the floor.

"Who?" she asked, pointing to Sun.

"I am Sun," replied Sun. "Who are you?"

The wolf girl giggled.

"Sun in sky."

Sun felt that warm fuzzy feeling only a mother knows when she is with her baby. Only, this wasn't her child. She had a sinking suspicion that this was one of _their_ pups. How on earth could a couple that's just so vile produce such a sweet girl?

"Yes. The sun is in the sky, but what is your name?" Sun emphasized the statement by pointing to the wolf girl. Though Sun knew that the wolf wasn't even a year, she could speak the simplest phrases and most likely the names of animals that were influential to her.

"Xiaoa."

"How are you Xiaoa? Who is your mother?"

"Mommy is mommy."

Sun rolled her eyes. Of course, to young ones, their mother and father was simply 'mother' or 'father.' The concept of their parents having names other than that was simply alien for the time being. But Xiaoa continued.

"Mommy in big tent."

Sun let a sigh of resignation escape her lips. Xiaoa was part of Canku and Xisong's litter.

The voice of Kar suddenly rang out.

"Kar ask, me come. Bye bye."

"I hope to see you again, Xiaoa."

Xiaoa waved goodbye and crawled out of the guard tent.

_Those guards should look down once and while_, she thought. _See how easily she was able to get in and out!_

Sun turned around and saw Aleksey clinging to the wire mesh, a crazed look in his eye.

"Was that one of the wolves' pups?" he asked hoarsely.

"Yes," said Sun.

"Its madness, comrade, that such a young one like her could have parents like _that_!"

Sun nodded.

"Hopefully, she grows up to not love violence like her parents," sighed Sun.

"Aye," was all that Aleksey could say.

* * *

><p>Kar had run around the camp twice. Zuihou was no longer at his side. He had stopped by Canku's tent before going around twice to drop off the tired babe. Now he wasn't slowed down by Zuihou's rather snail pace walk, he could run around, searching without the wolf being a hindrance. He ran past the same tent thrice now, completing his third loop around the camp. He was worried now. If something had happened to her, he and whoever had caused it were as good as dead. Finally, someone had seen her walk to toward the surgeon's tent. With a nod, he sped off to the medical center – if you could call a few white tents in the middle of camp a medical center. As he neared one of the tents, the surgeon's tent, he spied the unmistakable tracks that the pups created. Tiny pawprints and tiny strides made for a rather good amount of tracks to follow. They lead straight to the surgeon's tent. A scream of pain suddenly erupted from the tent accompanied with shouts of "Hold him down" and "Stop that blood flow!" Kar grimaced. He would have to go in.<p>

The wolves' knew better than to have little or now medical knowledge in camp, so they had gone out in search of the most prestigious doctors in all of China and Mongolia and had recruited them for their services. Most accepted and those that didn't were persuaded with either gold or the promise that they could keep their lives. The doctors had trained others in the art of healing and medicine so the army now had a respectable medical crew. Kar prepared himself for a bloody scene and was met with something beyond that.

The patient was strapped down by twine ropes. The doctors had tried to give him anesthetic but they had made a mistake on the dosage amount. The patient was now half-sedated undergoing a surgery trying to remove an arrow that had lodged itself rather deep his leg. A thin, deep incision had been made with the sharpest tools, cutting the skin easily allowing for minimal blood flow. Unfortunately, they had struck a major blood vessel allowing for the ruby red blood to gush out of the wound. This obstructed the view of the surgeon. Clearing away the blood as effectively as she could, the surgeon started the extraction of the arrow head. It had buried itself rather deeply in the leg of the patient and extra wiggling, as the doctor had called it in jest, was needed. The extra wiggling was then followed by the scream Kar had heard and the blood flow was just a constant thing to keep an eye on.

Forcing himself to look away from the gruesome scene, he spotted Xiaoa staring at the entire operation with intent eyes. The little wolf didn't flinch or look away as the procedure was completed. Even when the patient screaming in agony or the doctors rough shouts, which were sometimes quite coarse.

"Come here, we've got to get you to your mom," said Kar, reaching out to help Xiaoa off the table the surgeons had placed her on to watch.

"No," she said simply and continued to watch.

"Now!" the snow leopard said forcefully.

"Excuse me!" shouted one of the nurses. "We can't have you arguing with her. Just let us finish this without any distractions. So, stay here for the time being. We're almost done."

Kar visibly shuddered. He hated the prospect of being forced to listen and to watch a medical procedure. He could kill with out any issue, but he hated the medical aspect of life. The thought of slicing someone open to fix them on the inside sent shivers down his spine. Something was weird with him, he knew it, but he didn't care.

As soon as the operation was complete with the patient limping out of the tent with a lopsided grin and the doctors cleaning the blood stained bed sheet, Kar almost ran with Xiaoa out of the tent. It had only been another ten minutes, but to Kar, it felt like an hour. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the images of the cut open leg and the doctor yanking on the arrowhead.

"Ugh, I don't know how you can stand that," commented Kar to the little wolf.

"It is…." Xiaoa stopped. She didn't know what the word was.

"Interesting?" supplied Kar.

"What that?"

"It keeps your attention."

Xiaoa thought about it for a moment.

"Yes, it kept my 'tenshun."

Kar nodded but was still visible shaken by the operation.

* * *

><p>The tent of Canku and Xisong was soon visible, set up near the back of the army, standing out among the white tents like blood against white clothing. Xiaoa walked in, happy to see her parents. Canku wasn't there but Xisong picked up her youngest and set her down for her nap.<p>

"Where did you find her?" asked Xisong. She motioned for him to follow her as she made her way to the command tent.

"In the surgeon's tent, actually," said the snow leopard, placing his emotions behind a façade he had perfected over the years. He couldn't let any weakness or emotion show in front of Xisong, let alone Canku. When he was around the younger animals, he could let some emotion show, but he still had an image to keep up. "There was an operation going on and she watched it all. Didn't even blink or cringe at the bastard that was screaming his lungs out."

Xisong thought about this. So, her daughter, even at her young age, was showing interest in the medical field. How interesting. She changed topics. Her pups were important to her, but right now, she had other issues to attend to.

"As I'm sure you know, Zeng arrive to us a few months ago."

Kar's lip curled in disgust. He almost detested Zeng. The little twerp wasn't even meant to be an officer. The goose should be roasting over the fires as far as he was concerned.

"Yes," replied Kar. "I know that he has returned. I heard rumor that he failed. Well, failed halfway. Part of the mission was incomplete due to 'incompetent field agents' as he so weakly put it."

Xisong laughed. She could easily tell Kar didn't like Zeng. Among other things, Xisong prided herself in being able to pick out and read the emotions of others with almost an instinctual sense. She herself wasn't very fond of the goose, but he was a useful tool.

"Well, it seems that those field agents were going to lead a massive chase around the country side with the Furious Five chasing them. They were going to rendezvous with us soon and we would catch the Furious Five unaware and continue on with our plan, unhindered."

Kar blinked. The bird could come up with some of the weirdest ideas. The idea with the explosives against Shifu had all been his. Kar envied that he had been able to think of something like that, but in the end, he was happy he didn't. At least he didn't have a rather pissed off group of kung fu Masters and the Dragon Warrior wanting to gut him.

They reached the command tent, essentially the headquarters for the entire operation. Maps were pinned up against the wall and an assortment of weapons and writing tools were scattered around. A single, rather long, table was situated in the center of it. A large map of China lay unfurled in the center. The map had red pins wrapped around with a red yarn placed in various spots on the map. This represented conquered territory. Most of southwestern China and parts northwestern China had been already subjugated to the wolves' rule. Large white pins showed unconquered regions while black pins showed major cites or villages brought under their rule. A large, black pin was stabbed right in the middle of the words _Mengyou City_. It had been their first large accomplishment in China. Further back was the Chorh-Gom Prison. Any other cities or villages that had been crushed had the pins on them. Canku stood over the map. He was hunched over, peering at the open land that was still available for them to claim. His tail twitched sometimes as his eyes hovered over three particular spots. Along the eastern coast of China sat Gongmen City. Near the northern parts of China, in the fertile plains where rivers and few hills were, sat the Imperial City – capitol of the entire domain of China. Lastly, the Valley of Peace was nestled neatly in the Wu Dan Mountains that surrounded it. The Thread of Hope, the precarious network of bridges, was marked closely to the Valley. As much as he wanted to completely bypass the Valley, he knew he couldn't. It held the key to a lot of their success. The kung fu Masters and the Dragon Warrior lived there. If they were able to capture them and show they bowed before them, who would stand before them. Surely, if these wolves and their army had brought the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior their knees then who could defeat them? Canku chuckled. According the Zeng, they would soon have the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior. They would march on, invincible. Xisong stood next to her mate and studied the map as well. Markers had been placed for their own troops. Zeng had placed a small figurine to represent the last known location of the six they sought after.

"You see, sir, years ago I promised the capture of the Furious Five. Then, when the panda was chosen as Dragon Warrior, I promised him too. Oogway was lifted to the Heavens and that only left Shifu. I have delivered what I promised."

"True, albeit they don't actually have them," sneered Kar. He enjoyed seeing the duck – goose, whatever it was – getting defensive.

"I have killed Shifu!" screeched Zeng. "Something you couldn't have done!"

"Yes, who couldn't have handed someone a scroll filled with explosives and watched as it tore the victim apart. I for sure couldn't have done it!" Kar's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Enough," said Canku. "As much as you don't like it Zeng, Kar is right. You have both succeeded and failed."

Zeng's beak snapped shut. He stood stiff and looked at the wolf, trying to gauge what he would do. So far, Canku hadn't killed him – yet. He remained silent. A few other officers came in to the command tent, including Quan, the hawk commander.

"Aside from us waiting for the deliverance of the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior, we have gone far," said Canku to the now fully assembled meeting. There were nods and murmurs of agreement. "I'm sure most of your men grow bored marching around all day, I'm positive."

Again, more nods. The leader knew his troops well. He knew they wanted to fight, to lust, to be entertained, and so forth. He judged his troops correct constantly.

"So, I give to you a new target!" Canku grinned. Here was going to be an actual challenge. "This town right here. It has been fortified heavily and our own spies have turned against us. It seems life in the rural countryside has softened them. You know what we do to those who desert us?"

Few cringed at the memories of the beach marten being skinned alive. Canku was clearly pleased when he saw their reaction to his hint. He let Xisong continue where he left off.

"The town has been warned and they have built up their fortifications. Thankfully, because we used others to convey the information they needed, they have no idea when we will attack or what we look like." Xisong pulled out a smaller map of the area. They had already marked the army's position along with the towns own defenses. She moved the pieces of coal that showed where they were while explaining their own ideas. "Today, we will infiltrate one in as a traveler. They won't know the difference thanks to the spies own stupidity. The disguised soldier will simply open the gates when need be and we rush in."

An officer raised her paw. Xisong pointed at her and she spoke.

"If they know that we are going to attack sometime, why are we using such a simple tactic?"

"A fair question. I'm sure you are used to our more elaborate schemes over the years, but simple people mean all the less planning. The spies we had placed were of lowered status, they won't unbalance this battle at all."

With the doubts out of the way, the wolves' lay out the rest of the plan. Kar was impressed by its simplicity. It favored a massive charge into the streets and clearing out the top of the makeshift ramparts with the birds. They would flush out the militia with ease and kill or take captive the rest. Kar suddenly felt a bit of patriotism toward the wolves'.

"If your lordships so desire, I would like to be the traveler."

Canku arched an eyebrow. He didn't expect the snow leopard to vouch for the task. At the same time, he had no qualms about letting Kar do this. He had been an experienced warrior before he had elevated to his current position. This also saved him the trouble of going around searching for the one who would do the task.

"Good, if no one objects – which they won't be – Kar will have be our inside animal. One other thing, stop by the intelligence tent and request the pictures of the spies that were sent to this town. If you would be so kind, Kar, kill them. Now, you are dismissed and you will leave at once."

Kar bowed and left going to fulfill his obligations. It would be good to be back on the field again. He enjoyed undercover work and he had high expectations.

Canku watched as Kar left. He reviewed what would happen again and what each officer would do. Satisfied that there would be no further questions, he dismissed them. He had a servant clear the maps and the command tent as he and Xisong walked back to their own pavilion. Before leaving, Canku grabbed Zeng by the neck and started to strangle him. Canku leaned forward and whispered into Zeng's ear.

"I know you don't like it, goose, but the snow leopard is right. You _haven't_ done as you promised. Trust me, if I don't see the Furious Five at my feet when you say they will, I will cut off your legs, cook them, and force you to eat them!"

Zeng gulped. This was definitely the Canku he knew. All ideas that the pups were softening him vanished. That and Zeng didn't really want to taste himself. He nodded and a strange déjà vu feeling washed over him. Where had he been when he was first like that? Images of the red glare behind the snow leopard flashed through his mind. The large paw stroked his head in an almost affectionate way. But there had been no affection, just a smug triumph. Tail Lung cared nothing for him and had thanked him for his escape. Zeng again nodded. He felt reality come back to him and felt the grip of Canku loosen then finally fade away. He sat on the hard ground, rubbing his neck watching as the two wolves walked away. Why were snow leopards plaguing him like this? First Tai Lung now Kar.

* * *

><p>Canku let Chen play with one of his many knives. Zuihou sat at a checker board placing the pieces randomly over the board. Nuan and Wen, always together, had found some sand and were busy constructing a maze. Ling had climbed up on the crossbeams again in the tent. Xiaoa was concentrating on flowers. Two days had passed since they had dismissed the meeting and the town that Kar had been sent to was not a half a day's journey from here; and maybe not even that distance. They could even see the smoke that arose from the chimneys in the town when they had stopped near the midday. Unfortunately if they could see the smoke, the enemy could see their smoke and that meant not hot food tonight. Reports from the various birds flying over the town had told of the snow leopard's successful infiltration. To the townsfolk, he was nothing but a harmless traveler.<p>

Canku let out a bored sigh. He was impatient for the battle. This was going to be yet another battle with Xisong at his side. He had missed his mate at his side during the recent battles and couldn't wait for them to fighting next to each other once more. He could sense Xisong was itching for a fight as well. Even though the enemy was so close and they could easily destroy whatever they put up against them, he was forced to wait until dark. If they attacked early, Kar wouldn't know. The guards up on the fortifications would just have arrows rain down on them, slaughtering them in great masses. He knew that most of the people expected them to fight like barbarians – untrained and like a massive horde, but Canku knew better. He had studied on the past history and noticed that a disciplined army was ten times better than the mass of a charging horde. With disciplined soldiers he could command them where he so desired without have to call a rally. His system of officers, commanders, and runners made it so that his and Xisong's orders were carried effectively and efficiently. Now, despite being the second most powerful animal in all of China, he still had the Emperor to take down, he was here with his pups, waiting for dark. To make matters worse, he had nothing to do. His mate was tired and wasn't up for anything and his pups had taken to entertaining themselves. So, he, the great Canku, was sitting in his chair watching his pups.

_Maybe things will get exciting_, he thought to himself. _It will never get more exciting_, he continued on, gloomily. Canku spied the blanket he had had the weavers make out of Timoteo's fur. He was actually shocked to see how soft it really was. He shrugged. The blanket had been a hit for Xisong. She loved the blanket.

_Who else should I have skinned?_

Canku ran through the list of possible victims. The snow foxes pelt would look nice; the tiger's pelts would look even nicer. He shook his head. What good would that do? Fear was healthy in select doses. Too much and moral plummeted and he would rule on strictly fear which wasn't good. Too little fear and they might turn against him on more than one occasion. For all he was concerned, he had the right amount of fear spread around his camp. After all, he was Canku!

A high pitched squeal came from Ling. A splinter had gotten in his foot. Canku heaved himself upwards and reached out to catch the falling wolf pup. He yanked out the splinter; ignoring whatever cries of pain came from Ling. No sooner did the splinter come out, did Ling stop crying. It turned into a whimper as Canku set him down. He looked over at Chen. He was still swinging the knife around.

A gong sounded. Finally! Canku almost gleefully check the outside. It was dark, with only the stars and a new moon in the night sky. Canku smiled. This was going to be a fun battle. A true challenge. Mengyou City had been a challenge but after that nothing had lived up to his expectations. This was something that was going to be fun.

Xisong was at his side moments later.

"I had the servants put the pups to bed," she said. Canku didn't really care about the latest update about the pups, but he nodded anyways. Taking his position at the front of the army, he led them forward. Canku could see the dark shapes of the birds that flew above them. They would reach the town near midnight and then the slaughter would commence.

* * *

><p>The young recruit was proud to be protecting his town. A more experienced guard was his partner for the outside gate watch. He shifted his weight so that he could lean on his spear. His helmet was tilted at a jaunty angle and he held the spear with a strange tilt. This was his first day on the job and he was rather anxious and, at the same time, he felt cool and collected. He partly felt this because he mimicked the guard beside him. The veteran had fought in the Imperial Army for sometime and had moved to this town to relax. When he had heard a rumor of a possible attack, he had been the first to sign up and help train new, inexperienced soldiers.<p>

Here they were! Just the two of them, guarding their home against potential attackers and they wouldn't back down from their duty. The gate would be protected and he would be a hero. The young recruit stood up straight as he heard a scraping out in the dark. He started to ready his spear but the veteran told him to relax. Hesitantly, the recruit drew back his spear and scowled at the darkness.

"Don't worry, it's just the noises of the night," rebuked the veteran when he noticed the recruits bravado. The recruit looked at the veteran. He loosened up and ignored the sound. Even though he had been told to think nothing of it, his mind began to whisper horrid thoughts of a hideous beast dragging its claws against the stone. He shuddered.

"What was it like in the Imperial Army?" asked the recruit.

The veteran laughed coldly.

"Nothing like they make it sound like. In times of peace, it was boring. In times of war, it was terrible. I served in a time where there was a bit of both. Bandits seemed to be everywhere so task forces were sent to guard villages or hunt them down. Nothing to bad, but when you hit one of the major gangs..." The veteran whistled, signifying that meeting up with _one of the major gangs_ was enough for a bloody skirmish.

"What were some of the major gangs?" asked the recruit. He was interested in the Imperial Army. He planned the join one day – as soon as he got away from this town.

"Black Dragons, Souls, Qinshing. There was an other gang, foreign. Called themselves al-Tarir or somethin' like that. They messed up with the trade routes we had set up with the West. The Emperor sent a few unlucky troops to help battle with the bastards. They came back victorious, but unhappy."

The recruit nodded and looked up the road. The road was dimly lit. There were no lanterns placed to give light to travelers and the moon was dark tonight. By no account was this the best time to travel or to keep a look out. The visibility was poor and if somebody was going to attack, this would be the night. Some of the animals that had moved here years before had suddenly confessed that they were part of a massive army that would going to infiltrate and conquer all of China. Many didn't believe it. When the animals had showed proof – scrolls containing orders to do exactly what they were confessing, they believed. They set up the ramparts and the gates in months and had mustered up enough volunteers to give them a reasonable sense of preparedness. So far there had been not attacks or attempts on their town. Perhaps they were wrong. Still, it was always a possibility, nothing should be discounted unless you are _absolutely_ certain it will not come to pass.

The ubiquitous sound of feet on road resounded across the plain, sounding like a thousand footpaws striking the ground as one massive being. The recruit started to shake and he lowered his spear. Even the aged veteran lowered his own weapon. It suddenly stopped. The recruit squinted forward, expecting a sudden bellow from the hidden army as they charged down the plain like an avalanche in the mountains. Nothing happened for what seemed like forever. The silence once again took over the night. The recruit could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest and the adrenaline was rushing, despite the fact that there was nothing coming. The veteran looked grimly into the dark and grimaced.

"I'm sure as hell I didn't imagine that! Wonder what it was...or is?"

The recruit shrugged, yet kept his eyes trained on the path before him. Still nothing came. He started to feel foolish, keeping himself in the ready position though there was no threat. He chuckled.

"The way the mind plays tricks on you is weird, isn't it," he commented, trying to lighten the mood that had so quickly turned dark. The veteran grunted and, like the recruit, assumed an at ease position, though his body was tense and his eyes shifted constantly.

Two shapes, definitely the shape of two animals walking side by side, appeared in the gloom. The blurry figures sharpened in clarity and they saw two wolves suddenly standing before them. One of clearly male and the other female. The veteran looked at the two, thinking about what he should take of these two. The recruit squirmed in his spot and lowered his spear slightly.

"Friend or foe?" he stated in what he thought was a strong voice. That line was from ages past, yet the line spoke what he was truly thinking. What the wolf said next made his world spin upside down.

"Foe," said the stranger. Without a second to spare, the wolf grabbed hold of the spear shaft and pulled forward. The weak grip of the recruit was lost to the power of the wolf. The butt of the spear was rammed into the recruits head, causing him to stumble. The wolf deftly flipped the spear around and drove the blade into the recruits stomach. The recruit looked at the spear protruding from his stomach with astonishment.

"Y-you've killed me!" he said incredulously before dropping to the group with a dull _thud_. The lifeless eyes and mouth were forever frozen in the state of pure shock. The wolf turned to his partner. The veteran's limp body was leaned up against the walls of the city. Blood poured from his mouth and began to pool in one of the many folds in his armor. A thin but deep gash was clear. The other wolf had punctured the veterans lungs. The blood began to fill the lung, suffocating the veteran and have him cough up congealed masses of still liquid blood. That wasn't enough for the other wolf, she stabbed him mercilessly at the base of his jaw. The new wound had let the blood flow down into his windpipe causing the already oxygen deprived veteran to have no oxygen at all.

"Pity they weren't prepared better," commented the other wolf. She had complete disregard to the murderous acts just committed. The lives and bodies that lay on the ground before them meant nothing to them. Just causalities in a war and animals dumb enough to let down their guard.

"I must agree with you, Xisong," replied the male wolf. Xisong nodded.

"Call our army, Canku, we have a town to crush!"

* * *

><p>Kar waited near the gatehouse, expecting the long, drawn out howl that would signify the start of this towns doom. He glanced around him, hoping that no animal had grown suspicious of him. So far, none had any idea what he was going to do. Yet already he had killed five animals within the town.<p>

_Shows how soft these animals really are_, he scoffed. The traitors to the wolves had been dealt with. Their bodies were now hidden very well or had appeared like it was an accident. Only one with a trained eye could see the evidence of his kills. Throughout the time upon his arrival and the night in which the army had arrived, he had killed five of the seven sent here. Few, thankfully, had no wives or children. Whatever their reasons to turn so suddenly against the wolves was unknown, but Kar didn't care. They had turned their backs against on their allegiance and they would pay with their lives for their betrayal.

The first had been tricky. One of the few to actually have mated. They had found him crushed under the mill that he had worked on. A pure accident, no doubt. The snow leopard smiled with devilish pleasure. Fools. He had been the leader of the spies and he was dead. There would be no more cooperation between the traitors. The second and third one were probably the easiest. A male and female spy had become romantic. How their surprised faces caused him to smirk. Sitting together on a balcony, not expecting anything. Suddenly, the female dies with a mighty blow to the temple. The mate stumbled backwards, recognizing Kar.

"You," he had stammered. Kar promptly snapped his neck. He hid the bodies in the compost pile, leaving no other trace of their death.

The fourth had been another easy one. This particular animal had become withdrawn and seemed to be being eaten from the inside. All Kar had to do was slip poison into his drink and he died. Heart failure, who knew?

Of the fifth, all he knew was that he had been buried alive while working in irrigation project. The fool hadn't put up the support beams as he should have.

_Oh, what idiots you all are_, thought Kar. _Sabotage was clear, yet you turn your noses in the air, saying they are simply accidents that could have happened to anyone_.

Kar edged closer to the gatehouse. He saw three of the militia patrolling lazily around the door and its premises. Kar wasn't in the mood for eliminating them, but he knew he had to or they could cause trouble later. Scouting out his attacks, he walked as casually as he could to a nearby house, he scaled the walls with ease. On the rooftops, he leapt from house to house, occasionally having the go up another story or two. Kar looked at disdain with the building closest to the walls. It was almost as tall as the ramparts themselves, allowing easy access to the city below. All an intruder had to do was make the leap from the rampart to the building and then go from building to building till he got to the bottom. The same method could be used for an escape. But that wasn't what he wanted to do right now. He watched as the third guard, the farthest from the door, moved out even further. The other guard had turned slightly to the left; that meant that the last guard was completely out of his vision. The last guard had already been stationed with his back to the door and he was staring at some graffiti that had been scribbled up on the brick. Kar chose that unlucky guard to be his first victim. Dropping from the three story building, he plummeted down to the compacted dirt below him. The snow leopard had received some training in the art of kung fu and new how to land safely even from a great height. He landed with the slightest of noise. He stood up and let out a deep, controlled breathe. The dirty work truly started now. The snow leopard moved stealthily toward the unsuspecting watchman. His right arm darted out and his paw covered the guard's mouth while his left arm moved to the base of the skull. Twisting quickly, the spine was snapped. The head lolled forward, no longer supported as the muscles relaxed completely. Kar lowered the body and set it down, making as little noise as he could. He thought he heard faint talking from outside the gate. He must hurry! Approaching the second guard cautiously, he also covered the mouth with his paw but kicked the feet from underneath him. As the guard feel backwards, he let out a high pitched yelp. Kar winced. The snow leopard silenced it with a blow to the windpipe, crushing it.

"What?"

Kar whirled, pulling his knife that he had hidden in his boots. The final guard stood there, staring at him. A confused look coupled with his finger pointing at the dead bodies of his fellow guards and then the snow leopard made Kar nod.

"Yes, I did kill them," said Kar coldly. He threw the knife. It flew through the air. The remaining guard had no chance to dodge the swift and accurate blade. The knife lodged itself in between the guards eyes. The body stumbled for a moment, as if he was simply trying to regain his balance. Blood drained from the cut but the guard didn't care. He was already dead. The corpse had barely it the ground before Kar had pulled out the knife. A wet, squishy sounding came as the steel moved against the brain and bone. Kar wiped the blade clean on the dead guard fur and moved to the gatehouse door. He took out another blade, thinner this time, and a lock pick. Pressing his ear close to the lock, he moved the blade and pick until he found the _clink_ that told him that it was now unlocked. The door swung open, not yet rusty. The three keys needed to unlock the gate hung there, almost calling out to him. He took the three keys from their pegs and walked out to, back to the large gates. A central lock, and two other adjacent locks, one for each other massive wooden gates, were attached to it. Slipping each key into its appropriate lock, he let the reassuring sound of the deadbolt sliding back reach his ears. He readied himself to push open the gates, but rebuked himself. He had to wait for the signal. He waited and waited. Was he too early? Or had he mistaken the night? He began to doubt himself. What would happen to him when the citizens found the cadavers that were strewn about. All uncertainty was blown away by the unique sound of Canku's howl. Kar shook away any display of emotion. The wolves would not want that in their right-hand animal. He had to be completely unemotional. Putting on his blank face stare that had become infamous throughout the camp, he shoved open the gates. Canku and Xisong greeted him with feral grins. These two truly were the conquerors of China.

* * *

><p>The roar of an army rushing down from the plains from their west woke up everybody in the town. Mothers cowered with their children behind beds, bookshelves, even tables, fearing for their lives. Fathers and whatever other eligible males grabbed whatever they could find as a weapon to meet the oncoming army. Each shifted nervously in their position. The animals that had so suddenly told them everything, well, obviously, were right! It was terrible. The ramparts had been crowded by the militia, expecting ladders and the sort to be erected and siege towers to be rolled up. Lances and spears were readied. They expected the militia guards at the gate to be readying the defenses. The commander blanched when he saw the dead bodies on the ground.<p>

"Heavens help us," he whispered.

The army squeezed through the gates with organized chaos. As soon as they made their way through, the black garbed offenders rushed through the streets to their designated battlegrounds. Some ran to the rooftops to rain arrows down on the streets. The swift and agile felines and primates climbed to the top of the ramparts to clear away the more trained militia. The huskier canines and other of the more heavyset beasts wreaked havoc in the streets. The untrained volunteers fought bravely, in honor of their home and family, but they were crush beneath the mighty blows of war hammers. Torso and legs were hewn apart by the battleaxe. Bodies, now more like pincushions, lay in the gutters. The townsfolk had never seen such destruction or mindless violence. Many lay down their weapons and surrendered; they raised their hands above them, quaking in fear. Mothers cried out in anguish as their children were moved to different areas. Infants were placed in yet another area. The wolves knew the usefulness of the infants, unaware of their surroundings, they would be brought up in their camp and taught in the art of war. Canku and Xisong watched the entire scene, unblinking, unmoved by the wails and tears shed. Canku felt the familiar tugging on his paw. He bit his lip and looked down.

"What in the hell are you _doing_ here?" he yelled at Chen. The baby wolf looked at his father, complete with bloodstained fur and a tunic drenched with sweat. Whatever this pup had done, Canku didn't care.

"Play!"

The wolf pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head in defeat.

"You'll play later, okay?"

Chen held his paws up to his father. Xisong looked at her mate expectantly. Canku rolled his eyes and picked up his oldest son. Canku felt silly. He had just crushed a town with his mighty army. There had been casualties; that was expected in war regardless of the enemy you faced. Yet here he was, holding his pup in his arms like a loving father. Xisong moved closer to Canku. He welcomed her presence. At least having her with the child wouldn't seem to out of the ordinary. Then, Canku heard the familiar giggle of Nuan and Wen. Ling was suddenly on Xisong's shoulders. Zuihou sat between his legs. Xiaoa sat with her eyes focused on beyond the bloodied town.

"Yes, some ordinary family were are," said Xisong with a slight chuckle. Even Canku grinned at that.

* * *

><p>"You're parents did what?" asked Sun. There was no way to disguise the clear abhorrence and shock in her voice. The cute, little Xiaoa sat before her, looking at Kun's tail.<p>

"Watch them play!"

Aleksey nodded in agreement to the little wolf's statement. He had been there as well, in his drunken stupor, killing as well.

"It is horrible, isn't it, comrades. To think that ones as young as this witnessed the aftermath of a battle. _That_ is just beyond any sane animals comprehension."

Sun shuddered. How could someone do that? The emotional scarring on the children would be unfathomable! Sun lowered her head though, the news just meant the wolves were going on, unstoppable. She had heard the prison security animals speak of how close they were to the next 'major target'. The rumors were flying around that Canku and Xisong weren't happy with a certain goose either. Something about only finishing half the job. Sun smiled at that. Whatever happened that would hinder the wolves was okay with her. They had killed her son and they had murdered countless other by either word or deed. The sight of the blanket was brought to the forefront of Sun's mind. She shuddered and leaned against the wire cage. Kun did likewise. Their fur touched, sending the electrical sparks of love and affection to one another. Even from the position at the back of the army, they could hear the screams that rent the air during the bloody battle. Kun looked at Xiaoa as she touched his tail, picking it up and looking at the different color pattern.

"Orange?" she questioned. Kun nodded. Suddenly, the little wolf's ears picked up. She took one last longing glance at Kun's tail, wanting to look at it more, then walked away. Kun helped her over the wired mesh cage that separated Kun, Sun, and Aleksey. Aleksey recoiled slightly as Xiaoa touched his foot as she wiggled underneath the places were the tent wasn't tied down completely. Soon, her short tail was out of sight and they were again alone. They heard a shuffle from outside and the unmistakable sound of Canku's voice. Sun shivered and retreated to the edge of the tent. Kun readied himself for the worst. He saw how just the _sound_ of Canku made Sun cower in terror. To him, that was unacceptable...of Canku. To receive a healthy fear out of respect was good, but to have animals tremble in sheer terror of you wasn't good. There is only so long as a master beats his slave until it turns upon his master and kills him. The tent entrance was flung open with a great flourish. There, standing the noonday sun, was Canku. He wore something that could be mistaken for a civil smile, though behind it lay great evil. He bowed mockingly to Kun.

"Ah, my good lord and lady, I have something special in mind for you two!"

At the wolf's cue, two hulking gorillas took hold of the two tigers.

"Follow me."

With their paws clapped in irons and being marched along by the two gorillas, Kun and Sun listened to Canku all the way to the torture tent. Sun feebly tried to dig her heels into the ground, she had grow an almost abominable hatred for it – but it was entirely understandable. Kun bared his teeth at the back of Canku as the wolf looked at the tent. The smell of dried blood and sweat seemed to cake the air around it.

Upon entering the tent, everyone, except Canku was surprised at the inside. Yes, there was till the terrible aroma, but the insides had been changed. All of the normal equipment that was usually set up for the new prisoners had been disassembled and packed neatly away at the back of the tent. A comfy chair had been placed on an elevated platform at the right of the tent. The whipping post had been set up directly in front of it, about five paces from the beginning of the platform. Canku walked up to the chair and sat in it. The familiar shape of the panther – the torturer – was hovering near his masters side, the ubiquitous hood still on. A snow leopard stood at his masters right side. From gossip around the camp, the snow leopard was Kar, Kun presumed. Naturally, as soon as Xisong arrived, a second chair was set up.

Kun and Sun were both shoved to the whipping post. One on each side. Kun prepared for his shirt to be ripped off. Sun did also, but dreading the thought of Canku seeing her bare-chested. The torturer, surprisingly had been very careful about Sun's modesty, but she knew Canku wouldn't show even the smallest act of kindness. Instead, they were twisted around and their irons were taken off. The gorillas still kept their meaty hands on their shoulders, preventing the weakened tigers from even the thought about fighting back. The panther moved noiselessly down. He took Kun's paw and placed it on top of the whipping post. He did the same with Sun, placing it on top of Kun's paw. The panther took out an entirely new set of cuffs and looped the chain around it. Then, he fastened each end to the tiger's wrists. The tortures moved behind the tigers and stood, ominously, right behind the post with his paws placed firmly on the tiger's paws. Canku reviewed what he was going to say and then started to speak.

"You say, Kun, that you will not ever bow before me in respect or as your liege lord. In a sense, I admire that. You show defiance blatantly even in though you have been utterly defeated." He paused, waiting for some sort of retort from Kun or even Sun. None came so he continued. "Just as you are ever so reluctant, I will be every so stubborn. Trust me when I saw this, tiger, I never loose. I will get what I want, one way or another. Don't believe me? Let me put it this way to you, a cold splash of reality is what everyone needs right now!" Canku pretended to look lost in thought. "Here's one that obvious. When you pleaded to the Council for the troops to be marshaled, did they? No, I didn't want them to and they didn't. I got what I wanted. I crushed your city." Canku faltered once because of the look he had received from Xisong. He quickly fixed his error. "_We_ crushed your city. You are now our captive."

Kun shook his head.

"_We _are no one's captive, our spirit still flies free in the winds. _We_ are together forever and always will be – till death part us."

"How eloquent. One more thing, to show you, or should I say we, how Xisong and I get our way. You remember your son, Tai I recall his name was." Kun's eyes flashed. "I wanted him dead and were is he now?" Canku laughed. "His corpse is lying dead in the snow, while the scavengers and the bugs eat his rotting flesh! I win!"

Canku's voice had escalated near the end, but he regained his composure.

"It is rather heartbreaking, it really is. But I am a kind hearted being, one who listens to the please of even the damned. I'm here to grant one request of yours. Unspoken to me – until recently – but I see it."

Sun spoke. Her weak voiced seemed like an ant before a giant, but it still rang out.

"There is nothing you can do."

Canku's eyes narrowed and a toothy, malicious grin replaced the cordial smile that he had on only just.

"Xisong, please my dearest, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't they say that they would always be together?"

Xisong nodded, Canku had promised her something unforgettable today, less than a week from the Battle of the Traitors as the town skirmish had been christened. Canku reached into his own tunic and pulled out a thin chain of rusted iron. The wolf motioned for the panther behind the post and the tiger's paws. The hooded panther nodded and pulled out what looked like a drill. Kun heard the gears moving together as the panther started to spin the drill bit with the crank. Canku crouched down so that way he was eye level with the kneeling male tiger.

"I grant your wish. You and Sun will be together, oh so close, for the rest of your life. Till death parts you!"

With a frantic look in his eyes, Kun turned his head to look at the panther. Dread filled him and Sun screamed. The sound seemed to pierce his eardrums, but most of all, his heart. The panther had taken the drill bit and shoved it directly onto Sun's hand. With pace that was slowly speeding up, the panther had begun to drill right through Sun's paw. The true meaning of Canku's words struck Kun like a ton of bricks. The hole was wide enough for the rusted chain to be threaded through. They would truly be stuck together till death did part them – unless they could get free somehow.

Minute after agonizing minute, the drill continued to burrow into Sun's paw. The screams still burst from her mouth, even with her raw throat, and the fresh wound painted the once clean drill bit with a bright crimson red. Kun gritted his teeth as a last scream punctuated the air. The scream lowered and began a whimper. Kun tried to moved his free paw to comfort her. But, the kind, if pitiful gesture would never reach Sun. No sooner had the drill bit completely made its way through Sun's paw did it reach Kun's. A new scream coupled with a roar now filled the air. It felt to Kun like a nail was being driven ever so slowly into his paw and then twisted constantly. Sun felt the hot blood from Kun's paw moisten her palm. Broken sobs came from her body and she fell into blissful unconscious, the pain too great for her. Kun wished he too could leave this world into the world of darkness for the time being, but was forced to bear the pain and the even greater spear of Canku and Xisong's gaze.

At last, the drill reached through till it hit the different texture of wood instead of the soft, warm flesh of an animal. Barely awake, Kun felt the wound be treated slightly, cleaning up the bone and broken flesh that still hung to it. The hole was cleaned and Kun, even in his semi-conscious state was horrified that he could now see straight through his palm. A metal ring was placed in the inside of the hole, the cold metal burning the open injury. The chain was fit through and locked tightly together. Finally, Kun's prayers were answered and he felt himself begin to fade into oblivion, not death, but the land of not thinking. His eyes closed finally, welcoming the long rest he needed, after seeing Aleksey's expression. He sighed once and the world went dark.

"Might I ask why you did that?" asked Xisong. She felt no remorse for her mates actions, but did question the reason, if it had any.

"Simple, I lowered their moral and physiologically scarred them. During their tortures, one will be tortured and the other forced to watch. They are mates, as you and I are, and even more so. Whatever one feels so does the other. That, and I enjoy their screams. It's almost like music," said Canku airily.

"What music?" asked Ling who had come up behind them.

"Nothing," replied Canku quickly. "You'll learn soon enough."

Xisong didn't look convinced. Canku looked at his mate. He changed the subject.

"You know, the Valley of Peace is _very_ close. There is yet one more village in our way, Guanghao, and then we will be at their very door steps."

Xisong eyed Canku. He seemed almost giddy.

"You certainly are cheerful today. Something happening that I should know about?" Xisong purposely asked this with a very definite tone of suspicion, trying to see Canku's reactions. Canku embraced Xisong and kissed her. Xisong, in all her years spent with this one very unique wolf, had never seen him like that. At all.

"Our goals are becoming a reality. And they said dreams don't come true."

"Who?"

Canku's face dropped, becoming sour and bitter for a moment before returning to his child like happiness.

"Just ghosts from the past."

Xisong nodded and walked to the opening in the tent. The sun was setting. Each day, the army arose and they marched for the day. Every night, they would stop just before sunset and dine and rest for the night. On certain occasions they would rest for the entire day and allow the army to do what they pleased. Here was night that brought them one step closer to a steppingstone to help them cross the rushing river. Then, the river itself would be conquered and they would rule it. Canku was happy. She was happy. The Valley of Peace; next, Gongmen City; next, the Imperial City – the capitol of China! All of China would bow before them. Shen had tried yet he had failed. He was a stupid peacock and now he was dead. Xisong turned back to her mate. He was sitting in his chair, staring into space, almost daydreaming. His eyes were cold and calculating, yet at the same time filled with jubilation and pride. He sat there, with feet crossed...thinking. Xisong sat next to him and together they looked forward – forward to the future.


	20. Rumors

A/N: Promised you they would have the original Kung Fu Panda characters in this and here they are! Hope you enjoy and thank's for reading!

* * *

><p>Tigress shifted in her sleep. The dirt and grass scraped at her back yet she did not feel it. Her arm shot up, the palm facing up, as if to strike at an enemy. It fell loosely to the ground and lazily stroked the patch of grass beside her. She tossed and turned. Finally, she was on her side. Her tail swished back and forth, creating distinct patterns in the dirt. She extended her claws and scraped at the ground, digging up the loose grass and dry soil. Her leg extended upward, forming a ninety degree angle with her other. She moved it forward and back, almost like she was deflecting some invisible enemy. Tigress turned over to her opposite side. Her tail seemed to have a mind of its own and began to created different shapes in the dirt. Tigress's paw shot out to grasp what she thought was in front of her. Her paws closed around a long, thin thing. It seemed to be pure muscle and wriggled in her grasp. She groped for its head, if it had one, and readied herself to strike and block. "Tigress," the thing hissed. Tigress's eyes snapped open and she let out a silent yelp. Her breathing was heavy, but it soon returned to normal. Tigress's eyes adjusted to the dark quickly and she saw the familiar shape of Viper next to her.<p>

"I'm sorry for whatever I did," she mumbled. Tigress felt groggy and a bit shaken. Those red eyes haunted her still. They followed her around. Only on day's Xiaofang, and another dragon, Senlin-Mu, allowed for her to rest in peace, were the days she got any true sleep. Already she could feel the zeal for the chase being to fade. How long had it been since she had slept in her bed with her own blankets? When did she last visit the Hall of Warriors and train on the Adversary. Was the Moon Pool's reflection of herself fading to the back of her memory. Her heart was broken and yet to be fixed. Nothing could even dare to replace Shifu. Nothing could or ever would. Po and his comforting words had helped placed a salve on the wound, but she doubted it would heal. Tigress looked at Viper, still staring at her intently. She looked around and a ghost of a smile appeared when she saw Po's rotund belly heaving upwards and then downwards as he slept. Suddenly, the red eyes flashed in front of her. With them, they brought the almost _too_ vivid remembrance of Shifu. She buried her face in her paws. Her salty tears dampened her fur. What was she doing out here? Oogway had warned about this, yet she failed to see. It seems like Oogway was talking more about just her anger. No, he had been talking about revenge in whole. Revenge had a infamy of turning back on the beholder. And betraying her it was. Giving her over to those dreadful red eyes.

More questions to ask. Why were those red eyes frightening? She, Master Tigress, wasn't afraid of anything. Even when standing up to Shen's cannons, with all their hope seeming lost, she fought. In spite of...her Master's warnings, she had gone to confront Tai Lung. She fought. At the Battle of Weeping River. She fought. But here she was, shrinking away like a newborn cub. Not even that. They were just _eyes_, nothing else. But those eyes behold something greater. An evil and a despairing that had long been forgotten and ignored. Those eyes seemed to hold secrets, terrible secrets, that only it knew and had been forged in the fires of the past. It seemed to hold the power of her life and her death in her hands. It plagued her sleep and even haunted her in the daylight. They laughed, that cold, eerie laugh. They laughed at her pitiful form that lay there in the darkness. They tore her apart and they took pleasure in learning her deepest secrets, fears, and desires. Physically she was whole, yet on the inside, one would find a book with the pages eaten and torn out. She wept silently and was unashamed. Words from the past rising up from their graves. _Monster_, whispered the darkness. _Unwanted; orphan._ Her temper flared. She was wanted! Her friends were there for her. She could see it in their actions. Po's kind words and even his antics, Viper's kind actions, Mantis's dry humor, Crane's logic, Monkey's mischievousness. They were there for her. _No they're not_, came the darkness again. She felt Viper's long body drape compassionately around her shoulders. The darkness and the red eyes retreated, hissing their contempt at her until they faded away.

"What's wrong, Tigress?" asked Viper. Tigress tried to regain her composure somewhat. Her eyes were still a bit red, but she wiped away the tears. She looked Viper straight in the eyes. Viper was almost taken aback by the intensity of the stare. The snake almost struggled to keep herself from looking away.

"Nightmares," Tigress finally admitted. Tigress was expecting for Viper to say something about how they were just dreams and nothing else. Instead, she looked away and murmured in agreement.

"Funny, I have been having nightmares too. Really bad dreams. I'm constantly lost in them and don't have anyone to turn to."

"You've been having dreams too? Where there any...uh...any red eyes in your dreams?"

Viper shook her head.

"Never have been. But at the end of every dream, a mist comes up from the ground. It turns my dream dark. I can't see anything after that."

Darkness. She too had that familiar theme in her dreams, that darkness overcame her every time. She suddenly got a horrible thought, but she kept her thoughts from Viper. But Viper had been thinking about the same thing; the snake voiced her opinion.

"Is it possible that they are happening because of the shrine?"

Tigress snorted. "The Shiluo were just a bunch of extremists. There is no way this is happening because of that."

"Still...you never know."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Streaks of red began to appear on the horizon. The first rays of light touched the peaks of the mountains far from them and they settled on the tips of the towering trees in the forest that they now tracked the assassins in. Warmth already began to chase away the cool of the night, bringing a wakening call to the early risers in the forest. Those early risers being the Furious Five and, to some extent, Po. Viper slithered away from her place next to Tigress and began to prepare the quick breakfast. As she moved away, she left Tigress with one last thought.

"You know, some things don't want to be seen."

This struck Tigress as funny. From the history she had read on the Shiluo, she knew that the spirits were supposed to be lost on their way to the Heavens. If they got lost, they made it known. Animals would know if they were truly here. Lost spirits – they wanted to be seen.

The rest of the Five and Po rose, each less ready for the arduous period of running they would be doing. Too long had passed since they saw their rooms in the barracks at the Jade Palace. The trail was hot, yes, but it had been hot for as long as they could remember and there were still no signs of the assassins. The identities and looks of the assassins had even begun to fade. They knew that Zeng, the traitorous messenger, was part of the group, but they knew little of their true quarries. They knew they were a rabbit, a crocodile, and a fox. Other than that meager amount of information, they didn't know a lot.

Still, they pressed on. Each face was grim as they began running again. They felt weak at heart, but wouldn't let it show. Their teeth were set together, locked in determination. Their feet flew – or they slithered like lightening – underneath them as they ran as swift as the wind. In some cases, they ran even faster than the wind.

Such was the day. They didn't expect much too happen besides sore feet and an aching back at the end of the day. Their expectations were so little, that they barely even noticed the town, camouflaged cleverly in the forest. So focused was Tigress on paying attention to her surroundings and not being driven by anger, that she didn't see the pig and his produce cart walking across the road. The pig, though, noticed the speeding tiger. Waving his arms frantically, he got the attention of Tigress. An astonished cry went up from the pig as Tigress flew effortlessly over the cart, clearing it and several feet beyond. She skidded to a halt. Dust flew up as her feet dug into the ground. Po, having greater, lets say _inertia_, took longer to slow down. His stomach wobbled a bit as he turned around.

"Why'd we stop?" he asked. He reached casually down to pick up an apple and replace it with the appropriate coinage. He munched on the apple happily. "Wow, this is a good apple." He wiped the juice from his mouth and took another bite.

Tigress smiled.

"Exactly Po."

Po looked at the apple in his hand and an understanding expression plastered itself on his face. They needed provisions.

"Then I would seriously recommend these apples. No joke, they are almost as good as dumplings."

"Alright, get some supplies, spend the money we have wisely. Monkey, Mantis, go with Po."

As the three went off to the market that now surrounded them, they were stopped by Tigress one last time.

"And no Fire Pepper!"

Mantis snickered but quickly stopped under Tigress's withering glare.

"So. What are we going to do?" asked Crane, ruffling his feathers. It felt good to rest his wings. Walking would be fine for now.

"I'm going to see if we can get any information we can on whatever we can."

"I see. Knowledge is power."

"Unless you don't know how to put it to use."

Crane was silent, thinking about how true Tigress's statement was.

The townsfolk were nice enough. Nicer when they realized they were standing in the presence of the Furious Five. They would bow politely, but would rarely speak any other words. Sharp glances were cast at them from a few characters that seemed out of place in this cozy nook of the woods. They would then slip away in some unknown area until another appeared further ahead in the other parts of town. Even with the niceness of the town, despite the shady figures, Tigress was disappointed. They had learned nothing. Not one word about three dressed in black that had gone through here. In fact, the roads looked as if they had been swept just recently – not a day before. Suspicion rose between the three of them, but were immediately squashed when they spotted the telltale prints of the rabbit. The sound of Monkey swinging in the branches marked the end of their search for any information.

"C'mon guys, we've got the food!" shouted Monkey down at them. Whooping, Monkey leapt from branch to branch, leading them back to the center of the open air market. Po was already raiding the new provisions, munching away on some sort of cookie. Mantis rubbed his pincer-like claws together. Viper inspected the contents of the bag.

"No Fire Pepper!" she exclaimed. Tigress eating the Fire Pepper dumpling was still funny to them. Not a day had gone by when they hadn't made a jibe or commented on it. At first, it irked her beyond no end, but in the end, Tigress learned to ignore it. It had begun to become an old, beaten joke. Still, it brought weak smiles. Even at her expense, Tigress smiled slightly too.

"Did you guys get anything?" asked Po. Cookie crumbs clung to his facial fur. He scrubbed them off and they promptly transferred from his face to his wrist.

Crane shook his head.

"We got something. It is nothing."

"Cool," said Po. The panda was sincere, his mind drifting off somewhere. Daydreaming no doubt. Crane gave Po a deadpan stare.

"What?"

Crane huffed.

"Nothing."

"Since you three got nothing and we've got something, lets go!"

"Off running again, hope we stop early," commented Mantis. Being the littlest, this had been strenuous.

"You know Tigress. Tough luck!" shot back Monkey as he started to run in that awkward fashion that primates run.

Not much time passed before they were stopped again. Tigress was getting annoyed. She wanted to get as far as she could today, they weren't getting any younger. An old rabbit sat on a branch high above them and called down for help. He wore an eye patch over his right eye and a cane rested in the crook of his arm. The tree he was stuck in had a door cut into the large trunk. A ladder lay on the ground.

"Hey, you animals down there! Help?"

Po started to climb the tree, but Monkey beat him to it. With the swiftness and agility granted by his kind, Monkey scaled the tree and alighted on the branch of the old rabbit within seconds. Po was still struggling to reach the first branch. Po wasn't the best jumper around. Dragon Warrior or not, he couldn't reach the first branch. A mere twelve feet of the ground. In kung fu terms, an easy feat. Carrying the aged rabbit down, Monkey set the rabbit down on his large feet.

"How'd you get up there?"

The rabbit motioned to the ladder.

"Climbed up, the ladder got loose and fell. I was stuck in that tree for about I'd say three hours. Nice view, but I am old so I got sore. Anything I can do for you six? Don't have much to give, but I can do what is in my limits."

"We don't need any payment," said Tigress.

The rabbit bowed in gratitude.

"A thousand thanks then. Make it ten thousand."

"That's a lot of thanks," whispered Po to Viper. "If he did say all of them, we would be here for a while." Viper smiled.

"You welcome. Now, we must be off," said Tigress, turning from the rabbit.

"Hold on. Can I ask were you are going? You all look beat."

Tigress sighed and her face drooped.

"We've been running for a while now. Months. Haven't caught sight of what we're looking for in a while."

"I understand. What you looking for?"

"Three animals, dressed in black."

"These wouldn't happen to be a fox, rabbit, and crocodile?"

Monkey's eyebrows rose. Po looked at the rabbit dumbfounded. Crane's beak dropped, much like that time in Gongmen Jail. Mantis chirped. Viper's smile faded, replaced by pinched lips.

"How'd you know?"

"Saw 'em pass by here. Working in my garden. Saw them rush past. Like demons chasing them."

Tigress practically shook to rabbit she was so excited about the news.

"How long ago," she practically shouted.

"I'd say about just the tiniest bit less than a day's journey from here. You could catch 'em even faster if you run like they do."

Jubilation soared through the Furious Five and Po. It lifted their spirits high on its wings. They truly were close.

"Thank you. Anything else?"

"Not that I know of. Wait, yes. There are rumors of three black and white cloaked figures running around here. Nobody knows who they are or what they mean to do. Their faces are covered and they are armed. Quick and agile too. I don't know what they are. I think their bandits. Hell, I don't want 'em at my place. Say they're headed to the Valley of Peace."

Dread clutched at Tigress. Po gasped. His father was still there and the citizens weren't prepared for _anything_.

"Again thank you," said Tigress. To the other five, "C'mon; we need to talk privately."

They walked some distance away before they got into a huddle.

"They are headed toward home, Tigress," began Crane. "Nobody knows who they are and they sound like bandits enough. Armed too. Not to mention they cover their faces. I think we have to go back."

Tigress clenched her fists. As much as she hated it, Crane had a point. Those three could be anybody or anything. If they wanted to cause harm to the Valley of Peace, they could very easily without them there. Innocents could be killed. But what about Master Shifu? Going back would mean they would loose this trail and never would they be able to avenge his death. The assassins would go on, living a life with the damned pride of being able to say they killed a Grandmaster and got away with it. Her internal tumult was easy to see. Po felt pity for her. But he dare not say it. Nobody pities Master Tigress. She was trapped. She swore to protect those in the Valley of Peace, but Master Shifu was her adopted father. Abandoning this was like abandoning him. Tough didn't even describe the decision Tigress was being forced to make.

"Tigress, I know how much this means to you, but we need to go back," pleaded Viper. "Then maybe we can resume the search."

"But what if this is all just some mess up," said Tigress. The hurt in her voice was crystal clear. "What if they are just travelers or not even real at all. You know what kind of rumors merchants will make up."

Her argument was valid but weak. As brusque as it was to say, Master Shifu was dead, his spirit gone to the Heavens. The animals of the Valley of Peace were not. They were alive and well. The breathe of life still living within them; their hearts still beat to the music of life.

"What if your wrong," said Po. He hated seeing Tigress like this. This was the first time anyone had probably seen Tigress like this. "What if they do kill animals in the Valley? What if my father is killed?"

That cut Tigress to the core. She had just had her adoptive father killed and she knew how much it stung and burned. Sometimes, it even ate away her being. But she couldn't have stopped that. She had never known. There had been no warning. Here in front of her though, there was warning. How great would the grief be if Po returned home to see his father lying dead, his noodle shop vacant and he had had the power to stop it. Tigress looked at her clenched paws. It was like one decisions was in each separate paw. She looked at each paw desperately, as if weighing the options would help her decide. Tigress knew her friends depended on her for guidance, but that was what she needed right now.

_Xiaofang_, she begged. _Here my plea. Guide me!_

Instead of the rumbling voice of Xiaofang, the voice of Shifu rang through her head. The suddenness of his aged voice set Tigress reeling to the nearest tree. Her friends lunged forward, supporting her.

"_Do not act in anger, Tigress. How many times did I tell you that? Act with the harmony of heart and mind. Of logic and emotion. Together they form wisdom_."

The irony of it all struck Tigress. Oogway had said those same sort of words months ago. Here she was again, being reprimanded by Master Shifu, like usually, about her temper. Tigress longed for more of Master Shifu's guiding teachings, but the words echoed and bounced around her mind, giving no more than what was said. It was clear now. Anger drove her to avenge her master's death. Logic told her that she must return to the Valley of Peace. What of emotions? Yes, other's emotions. Love for his father, from Po. Tigress steadied herself.

"If it is okay with you, I would like one more day of the chase. Then, if we find nothing, we go back."

Po let his breath whoosh out in relief. Tigress was both okay and they were going to go back. Tigress hadn't lost her mind completely.

Even though this was going to be the last day of the chase, success or failure, Tigress knew she had picked the right choice.


	21. Meeting New Faces

A/N: What's this? Another chapter? Yes it is! I enjoyed writing this chapter for reasons you will, I'm certain, figure out. Enjoy.

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><p>Today was the final day. Night had come, Tigress slept, the nightmare visited, and she awoke at sunrise, shivering and sweating. They all commented of how troubled their sleep had been, but it was passed by as a coincidence. Only Tigress and Viper took notice. Getting up to run for that last time in the chase was almost ceremonial. They had poured so much into this and it was very likely it was going to turn fruitless. Still, the adrenaline of the chase took hold and they ran on.<p>

Coming on a river, they bathed – females to the far left, males to the far right – to wash the grime and dirt that had caked and discolored their fur or got in between a scale. It was refreshing and the set out as a pace unattainable at all but by kung fu Masters. The river flowed at their side until it veered away, doubling back on itself and winding down the forest like a snake. As the sun hit its zenith, they stopped for lunch. Po had requested an early lunch, but it had been denied.

Sitting cross-legged in the flower bed and the grass that grew thick on the forest floor, Tigress ate her beloved tofu. Her eyes drifted lazily from treetop to branch to distant river to one of her friends to treetop again. Conversation was kept to a minimal, as they were all trying to eat and catch their wind at the same time. Ten minutes passed and they all felt a bit better. The food in their stomachs helped and the resting period added to it all. Tigress stood up and again, prepared herself to run. As she took the first step, she stopped and didn't go further. Po had already passed her. He looked back to stare at Tigress.

"We going?"

Tigress didn't answer. She simply stared at a branch that protruded out from a massive trunk. Po followed her gaze. There, stooped on the branch were three figures. The figures alone wasn't much of a threat to six Masters. But the way they stood, uncannily still, sent shivers down Po's spine. They stood with one standing out in front and the two others behind. The one in the front had a long, billowing cloak that splayed out behind him. It was hooded, obscuring his face in the shadows, though the golden snout appeared from underneath it.. From underneath the cloak, they spied leather armor. The armor had been abused, its seemed. The surface wasn't smooth but rough and uneven. Long, thin lines displayed where blades had tried to cut, but had been stopped. Po noticed four sheaths. Two were located near his waist. The other two strapped to his legs.

Everyone stood still. The air was like the calm before the storm, but it crackled with energy. Po leaned over to Tigress, and gesturing to the center one, said,

"You can take that one."

Tigress nodded. The toughest were usually cocky, but they were cocky for a reason. Yet no one, no matter how good, had ever bested Tigress. It was their final downfall. With the leader being dealt with by Tigress, Po sized up the others. The second one had a veil covering her face. Po knew it was a her because of the way the shirt bulged out a bit at the top, near the chest and the way she poised herself. The female had a black cloak similar to the first one, but had no hood. She wore rugged looking traveler's clothes with a black sash around her torso. In her hand was a spear. The way she held the spear looked like she had used it before and knew exactly where to impale others with it for a swift, clean kill.

The last one confused Po. The figure was thin, his body built like a runner. He was taller than the other three, but he couldn't tell how tall he actually was compared to his friends. A bandana sort of thing wrapped around his nose and mouth, preventing from any of his face to show besides the top of his striped head and his eyes. He had white pants on, stained with the dirt from the road. He wore a long-sleeved tunic that was entirely black. A cape fluttered behind, waving up and down in the slight wind. Wait...stripes? Po looked again, closer. He was a tiger.

"I feel like we're going to have a cat fight pretty soon," said Mantis. He too had noticed the third figure was a tiger. "You know, Tigress, he seems a bit bigger than you."

Tigress snorted.

"No bandit, big or small, will beat me."

"I'm just saying."

Po gave his famous grin.

"Taller or not, Tigress is stronger. Now, I think that those guys look familiar. Almost fit the exact description that that rabbit said. Heck, if we can beat those guys here, we won't have to go back! Then we can continue on our search. Win-win situation, you gotta love it."

The three figures also seemed to be having a conversation among themselves, with constant glances at the six Masters. The female pointed and waved in their direction, almost frantically. The leaders snout, just poking out, twitched a bit. The third remained silent with occasionally butting in.

"Let's get 'em," said Monkey. He itched for something to practice against, no sparring, a real life fight, some competition. He preferred it not to be with bandits, but he would take what he got. Crane nodded. Viper found herself agreeing, eyeing the three, rather uniquely dressed bandits. Seeing the looks from the others, Tigress took a menacing step forward. They all got into their ready positions. The third figures eyes went wide. Tigress smiled. Intimidation was an important tool. The third figure pulled out a longbow and nocked an arrow. He aimed it, pulling back on the string. Tigress waited for the arrow to fire, but the archer didn't fire. Instead, he waited calmly. The leader of the three unsheathed two dirks, wielding them in his hands with finesse and mastery. The female made the spear dance around her hands as it twirled around and around. The three leapt down to the ground. The leader whispered something to the archer and he put away his bow. Changing positions, the leader and the archer took each others spots. Stepping in front of the other two, the tiger spread out his paws and took an alien ready position. His knees were bent and his arms and paws were ready, but they were ready in a position of defense for his friends. Tigress stood up straighter.

"Change of plans. The tiger is mine."

Relinquishing the tiger, Po, Mantis, and Crane switched their attention to the hooded leader. Three against one, two against one, and Tigress versus the other tiger; Po felt confident. In the back of his mind though, he had a troublesome thought. They seemed so sure of themselves. Shaking away the doubt, Po let himself feel the flow of the universe around him. Inner peace. His eyes snapped open and he raised his clenched fist.

"My fists hunger for justice!" he shouted to the three figures. A gurgling sound killed the moment. Po looked down at his stomach and looked at the Furious Five. "Okay, that time it _wasn't_ me."

They all looked at the three figures. The leader was looking down at his stomach. The mouth formed a frown.

"Sorry," called out the hooded figure. "Haven't had lunch yet."

Po nodded in sympathy, going without lunch and straight into a fight was one of the worst things ever. A shout from the Furious Five put Po right back into his fighting mode and he ran forward. The archer of the figures sprinted forward with the other two right on his heels. Po removed his focus from the enemy tiger and refocused on the hooded enemy. Po kicked out and the figure caught it and threw his leg upward, exposing the crotch of his pants. The panda would have received a painful blow to his _tenders_ had it not been for Crane smashing the kick and returning the blow with a strike at the hooded figures face. It never connected. The figure danced away and ran up the tree. Crane flew after him. The hooded figure suddenly back flipped off and the tree and grabbled from Crane. Crane deflected the swift blows from the hooded leader until he landed with a dull thud on the ground. The hooded figure had him pinned down by his wings and he couldn't move. Mantis came to his rescue. The praying mantis lunged for a pressure point located on the leg. The hooded figure kicked out. Mantis grabbed hold of the leg and flung himself upward. He let gravity overtake him and used it to increase the strength in his attack. Po had gotten himself up and jumped up, attempting to smash the hooded figure. The hooded figure deftly twisted his body out of the way. Po landed on Crane instead.

"Sorry," the panda said bashfully as he started to bound back upward. His body was slammed back down onto Crane's as Mantis, in an attempt to slam down on the small of the hooded figures back, rammed into Po's _bodaciousness_. Flipping up, the hooded figure wrapped Mantis tightly in his tail and let three claws rest themselves on Po's neck, pushing slightly in near a rather sensitive pressure point. The figures left foot stood on Crane's wing heavily, causing the crane to squawk. Po twisted his neck, casting a reassuring smile at the hooded figure that he wasn't going to cause any trouble, to see if his other friends were trapped. To his dismay, they were. Except Tigress. Po grinned smugly, Tigress would win. One thin tiger versus his friend and Master, an easy win for Tigress.

Tigress had immediately let all other thoughts excuse themselves from her mind as she focused on the sprinting tiger. She decided to attack first, giving her the upper hand. She jumped up and brought her leg up and then down with enough power to smash through solid rock. What the tiger did threw Tigress off balance. She anticipated a block with his wrists and then a blow to either the stomach or head. Maybe even the feet or a sharp yank on the tail. Instead, the tiger dropped down and suddenly exploded upward using his feet and hands to bound high in the air. But Tigress's descending foot was in the way, so the tiger kicked upwards. The force upwards cause Tigress to fall to far backwards and she landed on her back. This was nothing new. She prepared herself for the barrage of quick blows that would be most likely aimed at her face and chest. Like the other time, the tiger did something different. He just landed and readied himself, getting into a defensive position, almost goading her to attack. Tigress snarled and she flipped herself upright. She feigned right and jabbed left. The tiger didn't even fall for the false punch and immediately ducked beneath the punch and grabbed her paw. He pulled her forward, slamming his head forward to hit Tigress on the head as well. Tigress moved so that way she was horizontal to the tiger and brought her elbow around to hit him the temple. It was like the tiger knew what she was going to do next, because he ducked under and reached behind her knees and pulled. Tigress smiled when she saw where her knee could go. She went with the pull, adding kneeing upwards to hit her enemy in the groin. The tiger used the extra force to propel himself upwards into the air above her. She reached up to grab his own paws to pull him into the ground. The tiger curled himself into a ball, and then unfurled so that way his feet would be able to kick at Tigress as he fell. Tigress dove out of the way and as his feet got into her view, she punched with all her might. The legs of her enemy were flung backwards. She saw the look of amazement in his eyes as his face shot past. Tigress readied herself for the attacker to land and strike outwards or try to trip her. The tiger increased the motion in the air. His foot had completed a full circle and struck Tigress on the crown of her skull. She was dazed by the blow and almost cringed when she thought of the amount of blows that she could receive in this state. As the tiger landed, he spun around and again readied himself in a defensive position. Tigress cleared her head and faced the tiger once more.

_He is good_, she admitted to herself. For once she felt truly challenged – besides Tai Lung. _Wonder how this guy would hold up to the snow leopard if he was still alive?_

This time, Tigress copied the tiger's methods and went straight into a defensive position. They started to circle around each other. His cape billowed out behind him. Still, the tiger didn't attack. She looked hard into his eyes to see what he was feeling. All she could get out of him was confusion and a hint of fear. She saw him trip slightly over his cape. Switching back over to offense, she lunged forward. The tiger tried to strike up at her throat but she deflected it and hammered her head into the tiger's gut. She heard the whoosh of air leave him. Good, he was stunned. She reached down to his feet and pulled his cape up. The tiger, clearly winded, still got up and tried to break her hold. She moved gracefully around his grapples. She flung the cape up and over his head and began to tightening it, choking him. He struggled and she saw the desperate look in the other figures eyes. She had them now.

"Release my friends or you loose one."

A growl came from the tiger. She snarled back but it was cut short by a lightening fast kick to the both knees. She collapses, falling into a splits. So, the fight was back on. She was a bit more cautious now, but was still confident. The tiger whirled around and she saw his pupils had become a bit more narrowed. No longer seemed as innocent as they had before. Tigress lunged forward, repeating her tactic from last time. She knew what kind of fighter this was and, just as she predicted, would leap over her. He did and she twisted in the air, grabbing his feet and pushed him headlong into the ground. A grunt escaped from the tiger. He got up and started to back away. Tigress advanced, looking at her every options. Her eyes darted here and there, looking for anything that the tiger could use against her. Unexpectedly, the tiger actually ran at Tigress. She sidestepped out of the way. Just as she did that, the tiger slid on the floor, extending one leg out. Tigress jumped over it with ease but was grounded by the sudden pull on her tail. She landed on her rear and, using the strength in her arms only, pushed herself up and let her feet get back underneath her. She heard the scuff of dirt and she swung around with her fists. The tiger bounded upwards and pushed off her wrists. Her arm buckled slightly, _just_ slightly, underneath the new weight. As the cape flapped around, she caught sight of his tail. It was crooked. Xiaofang's words were suddenly fresh in her mind and she froze. The tiger used this to his advantage and kicked out Tigress's legs from beneath her. Quick as lightning, he pounced on top of her. His teeth were bared – halfheartedly – and he had a steely look in his eyes – almost. He pulled out a knife and held it to her throat. Tigress almost laughed, but didn't. She was thankful that one of the other figures, who were now pinning down her other friends as well, corrected this tiger's mistake.

"Uh, Tai. You do realize that you are supposed to have the _blade_ at her throat, not the handle," said the hooded leader

The tiger, who's name must be Tai, looked at the knife in his hands.

"Oh, thanks," he said sheepishly. He looked back into Tigress's ocher eyes. What Tigress saw next was just as alien as his fighting style. His pupil widened and he almost brought himself back a little bit. They stared into her eyes, curious and spiraling out of control with emotion. But, despite the whirlwind of feeling just in his eyes, she sense pure emptiness. Like an empty jar, waiting to be filled, but never found or used. An almost haunted look glazed over and wrapped all of the emotions into one package and displayed them in his eye. It was almost terrifying.

Tigress cleared her throat. This animal had a crooked tail and that was exactly what Xiaofang had told her to look out for.

"You have a crooked tail," Tigress said, feeling her throat bob against the knife blade.

The tiger looked at his tail. "I do." He didn't seem to mind the question, yet it did seem like he had been told that a lot.

There was an awkward silence that followed. Tigress dared move her head only a bit to look around before the knife was pressed harder against her throat; the tiger on top of her seemed hesitant to do so and, when he did, did so with utmost care not to cut her on accident. The hooded assailant had somehow trapped Po and Crane. The hooded animal couldn't have weighed more than Po by himself, yet somehow he was keeping him pinned to the ground. Mantis himself was struggling with just the leaders _tail_. Mantis caught her gaze and mouthed something. She cocked her head. The knife moved slightly against her jugular vein – what scared her when he did this is that he did so with such precision. Almost like he _knew_ exactly where to place it. She let a soft growl escape her lips and she was rewarded by the tiger moving the knife away slightly. Mantis repeated whatever he was trying to mouth. It looked like he was saying "_Golden voice_" but that couldn't be it. Mantis saw the look of misunderstanding in her face and tried again. Tigress rolled her eyes. All she got out of that was "_more to boys_." Tigress twisted her head over to look at Viper and Monkey, who were most likely incapacitated by the female. Sure enough, there they were, both with the spear laying across their throats. The female was in a splits, immobilizing their lower bodies. As much as Tigress hated it, she was impressed by the skills these three had shown. She turned to her own captor.

"Well," she spat, "go on and kill me? Or do you not have the guts? You a scared kitty maybe?" Tigress was satisfied that her insults and taunts got to the tiger. One thing that always made criminals make mistakes was to poke at their pride. This seemed to do the exact opposite in this tiger's case though. A pained expression flashed across his face, illuminating his eyes and the soul behind it. Tigress was shocked to see how clearly she could see into his being almost. It was like they were telling a story. Before she could even begin to read whatever story did lay behind them, they snapped back to the curiously emotional eyes that she had stared into at the beginning. The tiger stared at her, he looked up and down her. His gaze was hard and critical, like he was deciding whether she was good or not. He suddenly got up.

"Shang, those three animals were wrong. These are the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior!"

The hooded leader, Shang it seemed, looked at the male tiger from underneath his cowl.

"You sure?"

"Positive, look at the markings on her. The panda is exactly what Wi told us about and the rest look _too_ familiar. They lied to us."

Shang got up and brushed himself off. He was joined by the female who stood by his side. Tigress looked at the tiger, offering his paw to help her up. She pushed it away and got up herself. Tigress looked around as her friends got to their feet as well. Po walked over to the hooded animal.

"You guys are incredible! How'd you do that?"

A smile crossed the hooded animals face – or what was visible of it.

"We had a very good teacher."

Tigress folded her arms across her chest. She tapped her foot impatiently and waited for Po to stop badgering the hooded one about how he did it. The female walked over to her side, still carrying the spear.

"Is the panda always like this?" she murmured out of the side of her mouth.

Tigress looked at the veiled animal.

"Yes, but not always."

The veiled animal shook her head.

"Well, were are my manners..."

The veiled animal pulled back her veil and there, standing in place of the veil was now a rather striking face of a clouded leopard. The clouded leopard cleared her throat. The hooded leader caught the drift and let his hood fall back revealing a male Golden cat. The tiger was staring blankly into space, looking at the faint outline of the moon that appeared even in the daylight. His eyes darted to look at the clouded leopard then the Golden cat and he pulled the half-mask down from over his mouth and nose. There was a tiger, sure enough, underneath it all. From his face, Tigress could see that he wasn't as muscular as the Golden cat or as agile as the clouded leopard, but his face, though thin, portrayed immense intelligence. The tiger stuck out his paw again.

"I'm Tai," he said bluntly. Tigress took his paw and shook it firmly. Tai then motioned around to the others. "This is Shang and that is Mei."

As they shook the other's paws – or claw and tail – Tigress noticed how Tai's eyes never left her. It unnerved her.

"So, why are you out here? The Valley of Peace is that way," said Shang, pointing in the general direction of the Valley.

Tigress looked at Po and the others. Should she tell them. Po nodded. Po seemed to have no doubts in these three they had suddenly met. Even though Xiaofang had told her that the one with the crooked tail would be the one who would help her, she felt suspicious of these three. Something didn't seem right. First of all, they had beat six Masters rather quickly. Only one person had been able to do that, but that had been without Po. Who had taught them? Tigress weighted the options. There was no harm in telling them.

"We're chasing after three assassins who killed Master Shifu."

The clouded leopard, Mei, nodded with a grim expression on her face; Tai looked as if he was lost in thought; Shang stared at her blankly.

"Oh," breathed Tai, going back to reality. "Have you caught them yet?"

"Nah, not yet, but we will," said Po. "When we do, they aren't going to like it."

"I'll bet. Might I ask what these three looked like?"

"Well, one was a crocodile, the other a fox," said Po, rubbing his chin, summoning up the memories of the three, "and the last was a rabbit."

Shang chuckled. It wasn't a nice chuckle though.

"Then we passed them less than a day ago."

Tigress's ears perked up. They were closer than they thought. She grinned. Master Shifu would be avenged finally. This was probably why Xiaofang had told her about the crooked tail tiger. These three had told them that they were close.

"Thank you," she said, bowing slightly. "C'mon guys, lets go."

Tigress took a step forward, already the vigor and adrenaline pulsing through her veins. She felt a paw take hers. She whirled and came face-to-face with Tai. Tai was just a bit taller than her but thinner.

"Don't stand in my way," she growled.

"Oh I wouldn't dare," he admitted. "But unless you want a massive army attacking the Valley of Peace and capturing you, go on ahead. I will not stop you."

Tai let go of her paw and let both his and hers drop to their side. Like before, those eyes were hurricanes of emotion. If one word could describe them, she'd say _lost_.

Tigress opened her mouth to give a sharp retort but stopped.

"Did you say army?"

The Golden cat stepped up.

"Yes. Huge. We're talking thousands. It'd be in your best interest to get your black and orange hide back to the Valley of Peace."

It took a lot of Tigress's self-control to keep herself from punching the Golden cat for that remark.

"Who's it run by?" asked Crane.

"Couldn't be any of Shen's army, could it?" mused Viper.

"I doubt it," said Mantis. "Shen's army basically running away with their tails tucked between their legs." The insect snickered. "I'm surprised they didn't trip over them."

"Ah-hem," Mei cleared her throat. The six kung fu Masters looked at her. Mei continued. "Who is this Shen guy?"

Po's jaw went slack as it hung loose, almost swaying in the breeze. Monkey and Mantis looked at each other with grins on their faces. Po was about to go 'fanboy' on the clouded leopard in front of them.

"_Shen?_ Lord Shen? As in the peacock who basically whipped out the entire panda population! Creator of the cannon and wannabe conquered of China!"

Mei tapped her nose. "Nope, can't say I've heard of him."

Po started to open his mouth again to protest, but Mei cut him off.

"I think it's more important what we are telling you right now. What do you think, Tigress?"

Hearing her name being spoken by Mei caused Tigress to flinch involuntarily. She shook her head and turned to face the clouded leopard.

"Yes, it is very important. Po, just drop it." Po shuffled in his position. He had to clear this up later. "Did you say who was leading the army?"

Mei folded her arms across her chest.

"We were, but then the viper and the insect started guessing about some peacock. As we were going to say, it is run by two wolves named Canku and Xisong. Ring a bell?"

Their blank expressions were enough to answer the question.

"Then," said Shang, clapping his paws together, "let's get a move on. The Valley of Peace can't defend itself without its warriors!"

Tigress shook her head in agreement but inwardly was in turmoil. What about Master Shifu and avenging his death? There was no way she could turn around and forget about it. She heard Mantis talk to Shang about something. Her face remained stoic as she contemplated about what to do next. The raw anger inside of her fought bitterly against the idea of turning around. Though she hid her emotions, one seemed to read her like a book. The tall – maybe you could even call him lanky – tiger moved over to face her. She removed her eyes from his own gaze.

"What's the matter?" he whispered to her.

"Nothing."

"Something is wrong. That I can tell. Your eyes, they move back and forth like you're going between something. Trying to make a choice?"

Tigress sighed. There is no point in hiding something if it can be seen already.

"Yes."

"May I ask what is?"

The female tiger met eyes with the male tiger. She stared into those eyes as long as she could. Who was he anyways? The fire Dragon had told her to look for the one with the crooked tail and here he was, standing in front of her. He had beaten her in a match, how much was luck and how much was skill she did not know, and now he read her like it was nothing. Who was he? Tai. That was what he called himself. He spoke like one educated and had the body of an adult, but he seemed so young – except his eyes. They betrayed his youthful appearance and replaced it with a wise being. Whoever he was, though she had just met him, she felt as if she could trust him.

"My – our – Master was killed treacherously by a group of assassins. They used explosives and tried to capture us as well. We were able to fight back, but our Master had no way. It was entirely by surprise. I swore vengeance that day and I have yet to fulfill it. It's taken us a long time and now we are close but _you_ come to us with a message that the Valley of Peace is threatened."

"I see," Tai said. "You know, you've probably been told this a lot, but anger clouds vision."

Tigress let a bitter laughter ring out. Again, Master Shifu was talking to her, thought not directly. The others looked at the two tigers. Tai shrugged. He didn't know what Tigress was doing.

"Tai, you are right. Master Shifu told me that many times. I guess he was right, as usual." Tigress took Tai's paw and shook it. "Thank you." And she meant it. It was as if her mind was free of the weight that bore down upon her. The voice of Master Shifu, the aged red panda, echoed in her mind, warming her heart.

_Your anger has been extinguished. You see more clearly now, don't you? Good job, Tigress._

Tigress smiled for the first time in months.

"Let's go guys. Thank you three for the warning as well. I don't know what would have happened if we hadn't run into you three."

"Think nothing of it," replied Shang. "But we're not leaving. We're coming with you."

"Classic line," said Tai airily.

"What?" said Mantis.

Tai blinked and then looked down at where Mantis stood.

"Oh, nothing. Just a line used in many of the stories."

Mantis nodded slowly.

"No, you shouldn't come. Don't you have elsewhere to go?"

Tai shook his head.

"Nope. Our city, Mengyou City, is overrun. We escaped and went to warn you. We have and now, with nowhere to go, we are going to help you." He finished the statement as a fact, not an option. Tigress started to object. Po cut her off.

"Sure. Got any good stories to tell on the way?"

Shang pointed to the male tiger.

"He will tell you some pretty good tales."

"Awesome. Finally, some entertainment. C'mon Tigress, I know you don't like competition, but we need all the butt-kicking power we can get!"

"What competition?" asked Tigress indignantly.

Po jabbed a elbow into Tai. Tai stumbled, trying to regain his balance. "This guy."

"Beginner's luck," muttered Tigress. To the whole group, "All right. If you insist, come on along."

"Whew," sighed Mei. "I didn't want to be going around in these disguises all the time! And finally, I'm not surrounded by these smelly males all the time. Especially this one." She finished the statement by pointing at Shang. Shang humored her and sniffed his armpits.

"Fresh."

Monkey snickered. These two were comical and the more jokes cracked and insults dished out meant more hysteria. He was fine with that.

Tai shook his head.

"Funny thing love will do to you," he commented.

"You've said that before," said Mei, giving Shang a quick kiss before taking his paw and leading him down the trail, calling out for the other's to follow. "I remember parts of this trail! We're actually really close to the Valley of Peace. No more than a week's journey."

"Wait, love? and week?" said Crane.

"Shang and Mei are a couple and it seems that you guys were heading toward the Valley of Peace actually."

"Why would they travel back to the Valley of Peace? That would mean..."

"...they were leading us in a circle," finished Viper for Crane. "Funny, don't you think?"

"Very," said Po, already eating a dumpling.

The now seven caught up to Shang and Mei who had been sitting on a collapsed tree, making them a total of nine.

_Newfound acquaintances_, thought Tigress. She watched how Po moved up next to Shang and started an earnest conversation with him about his knives and kung fu. _Most likely to become friends but who knows?_

Tigress was used to leading them forward, but she relinquished the position to Mei. The clouded leopard knew the way, no doubts there, but was constantly bounding forward. She was filled with energy. Shang, the Golden cat and Mei's boyfriend, was talking with Po and watching Mei with a hungry expression in his eye. He was definitely protective and, from his physique, strong too. Tigress then searched for Tai. Sizing up others and judging them on your first meet wasn't a good practice, but Tigress knew first impressions have power. Finally, she saw Tai slightly up ahead, regarding a brightly color red and white flower. He moved it around, studying it. He pulled out a small compilation of papers bind together with twine and flipped it open. From the glimpses she caught, she was astounded. Accurate sketches of trees and fauna dotted around the pages in the harsh lines made by the charcoal. Numbers and symbols also danced on the pages. Lines drawn here and there, connecting this and that. It sparked her curiosity. She sped up and hunched down beside Tai. He looked over and lurched backward, surprised by her sudden appearance.

"Sorry, didn't see you there," he mumbled.

"What's on the pages?" she asked, pointing a claw at a line of numbers and lines.

"Some math problems."

"You like school?"

"Love it. Back at home, when it was fine, I went to the University."

Tai finished his sketch and got up. Tigress walked beside him. Tai was an interesting animal.

"How old are you?"

It was an innocent question, yet Tai reacted as if it were poison. He wanted no one except his parents – if they were still alive – and those he one hundred percent trusted to know his age. He thought others would look down on him if he gave his true age. Many thought that he was just young and brilliant. Brilliant, yes; young, not as much.

"I'll let you guess," he said hesitantly.

Tigress mused over it as they walked together in the group that was now headed to the Valley of Peace. Finally, she had an answer.

"Seventeen?"

Tai cringed. "No, not seventeen."

"Older or younger?"

"Not going to tell you."

Tigress put her hands on her hips. "Why not?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm embarrassed by it."

"Again, why?"

Tai hesitated again. Shang had noticed it and came to his rescue, stating loudly.

"Hey Po, want to hear a story?"

The panda's ears perked up. Stories were right on his list next to kung fu...and food. A good story could send you to far away places that could never exist.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Po. "What kinda story is it?"

"You know how you asked how we got so good?"

Po nodded vigorously. A story about kung fu – even better.

"Well, we'll tell you it. How about you tell it, Tai?"

Tai blushed. As many stories as he had read, he never felt comfortable telling them. His social speaking skills were basically nonexistent, let alone rusty. But, it distracted this rather attractive female tiger away from his age. And, she was probably interested in how he, awkward Tai (she didn't really know that yet) had beaten a master that had been training for over twenty years. Tai started to speak, but no words left his mouth. Po stared at him intently, eagerly awaiting the tale that would be told.

"I'll tell it later tonight," he finally said. "I'll have figured something out then."

Po sighed, deflated that he couldn't hear it now.

"Hey," Po said, "we'll have a campfire story! For the first time!"

Monkey chuckled. "Let's hope this is going to be a good one."

Tai nodded. He sure hoped he didn't let the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior down.

With Mei leading them, Shang in second, and the rest in a scattered position, they followed wherever the clouded leopard led them. Mei had traveled the area with her parents before she had visited Mengyou City and knew these parts well enough to navigate them with just the smallest bit of indecisiveness. Occasionally she would stop, look around, and, much to everybody's curiosity, sniff at a tree. She didn't say why she did, but it led them in the right direction. Soon, they picked up a route used by traders and merchants mostly, yet it was one of the quickest ways to the Valley of Peace. Since the Furious Five and Po knew the road, they took the lead. On they walked, but not ran. From their surroundings and Po's descriptions of the Valley, Shang could tell they weren't too far away. Nobody paid attention to the road, they just kept walking, knowing that the road would lead them to home and to safety. Tai suddenly ran ahead and stopped, blocking the rest of the road.

"Uh, buddy, what are you doing?" asked Mantis.

Tai's face turned slightly red. Standing up in front of _anybody_ was something he wasn't used to.

"We can't go this way."

"Why?" asked Tigress.

"We can't follow the road, that is."

"You didn't answer my question," she replied, slightly annoyed.

Tai cleared his throat.

"Let's say that this road will lead you straight into a rather clever trap and you won't be able to get out of it. The wolves will have you captured and the Valley of Peace will be overrun. Then, they will go on to capture Gongmen City, followed by the Imperial City, followed by the rest of China." Tai stopped abruptly at the end. From the look on Tigress's face, he probably shouldn't have been that frank.

Po could sense that Tigress was going to go off on Tai – verbally. Tai hadn't done something to upset her that much yet. He shrugged overdramatically.

"I say we go Tai's way. Wait...what was your way?"

"Um, I was going to head that way for a bit and then cut back in the direction of the Valley."

"So, like, through the places were nobody really goes?"

"Precisely. No one will be there to know that we are even there!"

Po clapped his paws together.

"Sounds good to me! Let's go!"

Tigress huffed but said little else in argument as they went their way on the detour. She sensed Mei next to her. The clouded leopard was shorter than her, almost a half a head shorter.

"I know," she simply said.

"You know what?" asked Tigress, keeping her face forward. Her whiskers twitched slightly.

"He is an odd one, isn't he?"

"What?"

"He had an interesting childhood."

"Stop changing the subject please! Who or what are you talking about?"

Mei smirked at the frustrated Tigress.

"Tai."

"What about him?"

"What I just said."

Tigress gave Mei a deadpan stare. She really wasn't in the mood for this.

"What about Tai?"

"I'll tell you when you tell me."

"Do you enjoy doing this to others? Confusing them?"

Mei cocked her head slightly to the right, thinking about it, then brought her eyes up to look straight into Tigress's eyes. With a perfectly straight face: "Yes."

Tigress snorted. "Can you stop for now?"

"Okay," said Mei, submitting, though not defeated. "Alright, what do you think of Tai right now?"

One word came to Tigress's mind – no, more than one.

"Awkward, nerdy, young, absentminded, soft, lost."

Mei nodded. "I agree with you to some degree. Anything positive?"

"Kind, from what I know. Humble maybe. Compassionate? I don't know, I only just met him!"

"I guess so..."

Tigress waited for the clouded leopard to continue.

"But, he is awkward and soft and absentminded and lost. He hates violence. He can be forgetful sometimes, though he has incredible long-term memory. As for awkward and lost. Yes."

Tigress was slightly confused.

"How can he hate violence yet fight the way he does?"

"Did you notice that he mostly went on defense?"

Tigress nodded.

"He has learned to defend himself and use his defense as his offence. Brilliant and effective."

"I'll say..." muttered Tigress.

"Just thought I'd share that with you. Oop, Shang is calling me over, I'll talk to you later!" Mei gave her a quick wink and bounded away.

_Certainly energetic_, thought Tigress. _But why did she tell me about _him?

Tigress narrowed her eyes, her mind suddenly thinking about Tai and those other two. How had Tai even known about any traps? A seed of an idea took root in her mind. It grew and blossomed into a doubt and suspicion. She watched the lanky tiger make his way forward, seemingly uncertain of where he was truly leading them, but he seemed to know where to go. How had he known about the traps? Quite suddenly, she stopped. Monkey let out an _oomph_ as he ran into her, which was like running headlong into a stone wall.

"Why'd you stop?" Monkey asked, rubbing his head. "Tigress?"

The female tiger didn't respond. Instead, she waited for the rest of the Furious Five and Po to stop. Their new acquaintances kept on going until Shang looked back. The Golden cat called forward to the other two. They too halted and spun around. Tai looked nervous when he looked straight at Tigress. Tigress gave a toothy grin. Maybe her suspicions were right. It wasn't like her to just walk up to somebody, hear their so called warning, and then march off with them back home – especially when they beat them so easily also.

Tai, Mei, and Shang went back to stand face-to-face with the kung fu Masters.  
>"C'mon, we have to hurry," said Shang, his tone crisp and filled with authority. "We have to get to the Valley of Peace!" There was no time for games like this. His lip almost curled in disgust at the female tigers distrust in them. They had shown themselves trustworthy...hadn't they?<p>

Tigress folded her arms across her chest and stared daggers at each of them. Po looked at Tigress uncomfortably. What was she up to?

"Yeah, uh, Tigress, Shang's right. We gotta go!" Po insisted.

"Oh, I know," said Tigress. "I just want to know how some supposedly pacifistic tiger and his friends shows up, beats us, warns us, and then supposedly knows about traps that are set for us?"

Crane nodded involuntarily. She had made some good points. Viper didn't know what to think. Even in this short time with Mei, she had grown to like her as a friend. But, like usual, Tigress pointed out holes that they had missed. Mantis tapped his pincers together; if this came to another fight, he didn't want to be trapped by a tail again. That had been humiliating. Mei put her hands on her hips.

"What proof do you want?" she said, an eyebrow raised. Her tail twitched back a forth. She was annoyed.

"Why don't you prove it to us?" shot back Tigress.

"That doesn't help," sighed Mei.

Tai's paw rose up feebly, like he was in a class and had an answer.

"What?" asked Tigress.

"Would a story about how we came here be proof enough? I have evidence that could persuade you?"

Tigress thought about it. Viper slid up next to her and tapped on her side. Tigress leaned down and put her ear beside Viper's mouth. Tigress nodded as she listened to what Viper had to say.

"Alright. I guess that will do," she finally said begrudgingly.

Tai relaxed visibly. Shang, in all his military demeanor showed nothing while Mei nodded her head slowly.

"I'd say we wait till night," said Po. Everyone looked at the panda.

"Why?"

"'Cause, then we can have dinner with it. And a campfire. It'll be a freaking amazing campfire!"

"No harm in that," said Monkey. "Anyways, night is almost here."

As they started back following Tai, Tigress kept her eyes peal for anything that might be a sign of betrayal from the three that they now followed back to the Valley of Peace.

* * *

><p>Tigress sniffed the air and a gentle breeze blew, ruffling her fur. A roaring campfire had been built. Shang, Po, and Monkey had been acting like children around it, getting it to grow bigger and bigger. To make matters worse, Mantis had joined them. Finally, they had had to tell the males – with the exception of Tai – to knock it off. They had to let the flame die down a bit before Po could start to make dinner. As the kettle had been hung above the fire, suspended by three branches, the smell wafted upwards, filling the nostrils of every animal near enough. The delectable aroma caused their mouths to water and their patience for the meal to grow thin. With Po's stomach rumbling the loudest, the soup had finally been served. The look on the three's faces as they tasted the first of Po's cooking was priceless. Their eyes widened bigger than anyone thought was possible. Eagerly, they almost begged for seconds. As the panda ladled out the soup, everyone set up for sleep and the story.<p>

The world was now encompassed by darkness. The fire was now licking at the wood hungrily. Sitting on their sleeping mats, everyone turned their attention to Tai and the other two. They all, for different reasons wanted to hear this story.

Tai looked out at his small, but important audience. If he didn't convince them that they were truly who they said they were, Tigress would mostly likely send them away or beat them all senseless. He had yet to see her angry and doubted that he would be able to defend himself against a master in her pure rage.

The orange glow flickered off of the faces and cast elongated shadows behind them. The shadows stretched out, warping the shape to cause eerie shapes on the tall trees and the grass. The stars were out like every night, staring down on all of them. The moon, and it's watching eyes, was invisible tonight. A few shuffled around, getting into a more comfortable position. Tai cleared his throat and they leaned forward without noticing. His words came out soft yet grew with strength as he recounted what had occurred from the day Mei and her parents had arrived...

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><p>AN: I don't usually leave end chapter author's notes, but I going to for this chapter. I'm looking for a beta reader and if anyone (betareader or not) has any suggestions on someone I should check into, let me know please. Thanks for reading. Now, I also don't usually ask for them, but please review. If you have any ideas or comments or criticisms, please let me know, its the only way I can get better at writing. Thanks for reading!


	22. Sitting Around the Campfire

A/N: Hello! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been working on something else besides this (not a fanfiction) and it has (sadly?) taken a lot of my time. Well, here I am again, updating. Hope you enjoy this.

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><p>"I'll spare you the details," said Tai, "but when Mei and her family arrived, they warned us about the army that now knocks at the Valley of Peace's door. My father tried to get the Council to okay the marshalling of the full Guard, but it was denied. It was folly and traitors that were the downfall of Mengyou City. One night, the city was attacked and my parents taken hostage. We escaped but learned about their plans before leaving. Then, we journeyed to here..."<p>

The tiger, heir to the throne in Mengyou City, told a tale in the fashion that Wi had, about their long travels. They sat their, enraptured by this tale Tai weaved. Nobody spoke with the exception of Shang and Mei who filled in details. They would show whatever proof they could, pulling out objects and showing them. Tai glanced at Tigress. Her arms were still crossed but her eyes didn't have such hardness in them. Was she truly warming up to them, albeit marginally? Tai continued on, his hands gesturing out sometimes to emphasize a point. He even saw a look of feint recognition flash across Tigress's face when he mentioned the ancestors. Finally, when Tai mentioned Kamon being Oogway's nephew, she stopped him.

"Hold it right there," she said, drawing the attention of everyone. "Oogway had a nephew?"

Tai nodded.

"Believe it or not, he did. Oogway taught Kamon personally, even before Shifu."

"_Master_ Shifu," said Po out of the side of his mouth. Tai quickly corrected himself.

Tigress didn't look convinced. She smirked.

"So the nephew of Oogway himself taught you kung fu?"

Tai shrugged. "I guess."

Po's mouth dropped open. He finally made the connection.

"Woah! That's awesome. What did he teach you?"

Tai looked straight into Tigress's eyes, ignoring Po's question.

"Would this prove it to you?"

Tai reached inside his cloak and pulled out a simple piece of paper. He handed it out to Tigress.

"A letter from Oogway to Kamon."

Tigress snatched up the letter, her eyes gliding over the lines of Chinese, absorbing every detail and word Oogway had written. It sounded and looked like Oogway's writing, there was no doubt. Without noticing it, she felt herself more trusting of these three now she had some proof. One last thing though would really tell her if these were truly who they said. She returned the parchment and Tai tucked it away. Tigress stared at the fire. Silence hung in the air as everyone waited for what she would say next.

"You said you met ancestors. How?"

"Well," began Tai, "they would appear and disappear, sometimes they would talk and other times they would stay silent. On one occasion, Li," Tai saw the look of confusion on their faces, "my first ancestor of the Shandian Clan, gave me this."

He lifted his paw up, facing his palm towards them. The red, iridescent ink gave a harsh reflection in the firelight.

"A tattoo?" asked Viper.

Tai withdrew his paw and rubbed his slowly – he was getting uncomfortable talking about this subject.

"You could say that."

"What's it for? What's it mean?" asked Mantis.

Tai looked up sharply.

"It is a Peace Mark," he replied, his voice almost nonexistent.

The Furious Five were taken aback, leaving Po perplexed.

"Peace Mark?"

Tigress nodded. Her doubts were nearly blown away. From what history Master Shifu had them study, she remembered the Shandian Clan being mentioned along with this infamous Peace Mark.

"Yes Po, the Peace Mark," said Tigress. She proceeded to give a brief overview of it. Po's eyes glanced back and forth between Tigress and Tai – though mostly his paw. When she finished, Po let out a loud,

"Ohhhhhhhhh. _That_ Peace Mark. That sucks, man."

"You have no idea," said Tai, a sad smile on his face.

"Can you continue. What about your training with Kamon?" asked Po, changing the subject to one less touchy.

"I think we can all tell you about that," said Mei. Everyone's eyes moved from Tai to Mei. Tai was immensely relieved, storytelling was something he'd rather not do again. Mei started by stating that she was going to share just three of the most monumental things Kamon taught them separately: how to overcome their flaws.

Mei laughed as she started her own experience.

"I hate water, I still do but not as much now. The ironic part about this all is it was almost an exact repeat of when Shang was afraid of water. Quite simply, Shang and Tai pulled, pushed, heaved, and kept me in the water. Kamon would stand at the banks, staring down at me with my arms being held down by these two and he would slowly tell me what to do. Sometimes, we would do our lessons in the water – which pissed me off to no end – but it helped." Mei sighed. "Kamon might have had a rather unorthodox method as a kung fu Master. It was more like a military instructor, but he helped me overcome my fear of water. As I said before, I still hate it, but I can live with it."

Shang cleared his throat. He wasn't good at turning his thoughts into words, meaning he had to think long before he said anything.

"When Kamon told me my flaw was my pride and my unwillingness to accept anything other than success, I laughed. I thought he was wrong; that right there proved him right. I was too arrogant to see that it was true. He kicked that out of me rather quickly. I would be last to do something worth doing and first to be volunteered for any chore – no matter how disgusting." He paused, thinking about what else he was going to say next. "As for the failure part, he would give me impossible tasks. I was frustrated to no end and wouldn't give up. Finally, I did. It felt horrible but Kamon showed me what he was trying to show me. He said I needed to accept failure, not live with in it, but accept it sometimes. Always going forward would get myself killed or hurt. I saw his logic, but I still don't think it's all the way true. Other than that, he helped me get better at kung fu."

With two of the three of their new friends having told their stories, they shifted gazes expectantly to the lanky tiger. Tai's attention never left the ground but he spoke loud and clear.

"Kamon taught me how to defend myself. He showed me how to stand up and control Gu-Yi. Gu-Yi is a terrible curse that makes those in the Shandian Clan loose all control and return to the way of the first ancestors. In a sense, you could call it wild, feral, primeval, and a whole lot more. At first, I refused to learn anything that could hurt others. That meant any attacks I wouldn't use. Before I go any further, I must say that I already knew a lot of kung fu doctrine and the moves, I just couldn't do them. Kamon showed me how to use them; to unlock inner chi. He succeeded and I was able to succeed in all but offense. He would have me meditate and he coached me on how to control the subconscious rage that builds, signifying Gu-Yi. Finally, I conquered that ancient curse - well, not entirely, but I have a better rein on it. Then, came the hard part. He directed me through the offensive moves. I would copy but never use them. Then one day, he had Shang leave and come back disguised as someone else - I didn't know about this. Then he came back, in his disguise as a bandit. It didn't occur to me that this was a test, in retrospect, it was all too obvious. But, anyhow, Mei was 'captured.' Shang, in his disguise, held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. I hesitantly took my position and much to my still utter astonishment, I attacked. It was choppy, but when I used my defense and combined it with the offense I knew would work, I actually achieved it! I beat Shang! Well, not quite. I still don't know exactly what happened. So, there you have it, all of our stories."

Tigress took a deep breath. She didn't know what to say. An awkward silence, besides the crackle of the fire, took over the camp. The moon had started its final climb to its throne high in the middle of the night sky and the stars had begun speed up their waltz to a foxtrot. She was sure, now, that they truly were who they said they were. Tai's elaboration with their experiences with Kamon and his star pond were odd, but seemed true now. Kamon – this was someone she would have to meet one day.

Po yawned. It was contagious and others were yawning as well. Shang stretched his body, reaching up to the sky. He blinked wearily.

"I think it's time to go to bed. No questions asked, okay? Good."

The fire was dimmed somewhat and prone bodies now lay near the fire, letting its warmth seep into them, casting away the chill of the night. Gentle snores could be heard from Shang and louder ones yet could be heard from the panda as his belly rose and fell. Embers glowed cherry red in the darkness as the fire began to weaken and then dissipated entirely. Mei moved closer to Shang for warmth and the others curled up tighter or covered themselves with any other blankets they could spare. The moon continued on its ancient walk from horizon to horizon.

Tigress's golden eyes glowed in the dark as she was still awake. She lay there, pondering all that had happened from the very beginning of when they met Tai, Shang, and Mei all the way to where they were now. She blinked and rolled over, trying to get comfortable. Part of her was glad that they were going back to the Valley of Peace; she had felt a bit homesick. The other side of her was still screaming defiantly – why wasn't she avenging Master Shifu? And another thing, who was this _Tai_? She scratched her wrist, ruffling the fur. From her side, she could see were they would be heading tomorrow, following Tai.

Tai. Someone who was destined to meet them, the one with the crooked tail. The thin tiger who hated fighting yet fought with cunning and _defense_. Fighting with defense. Those very words didn't make sense to her. You were either on defense or you were on offense, it was as simple as that. It was just as alien as defending with offense. No, she did that all the time. To force your opponent back so that way they couldn't attack was defense. Their fighting styles were the exact opposite, yet he had won out somehow.

"How did he do it?" she asked herself.

"I truly don't know either."

Tigress jerked up, her paws at a ready stance. Tai sat somewhat away from her, but close enough that he could have heard what she said.

"Huh?"

"I don't know how I beat you. I think it was luck or fate, probably an accident."

Tigress smiled and quoted Oogway, "There are no accidents."

Tai looked up and disbelieving smile on his lips. "Okay, if you say so. Still, I would like to know how I did win."

Tigress looked away and started at her paws, looking them over, as if they held the answer. Maybe Tai's paws did.

"Could it have been Gu-Yi?"

Tai was clearly taken aback.

"I will not associate _any_ victory with that," his voice was tight and held an edge to it. "I will not become the monster it tries to subdue me into becoming." He ended the sentence with a low growl but his voice softened back to its normal tone. "No, Gu-Yi had nothing to do with it."

"What about Dragons?"

"Perhaps. I've had run ins with a couple Dragons."

"What were their names?"

"Can't tell, he said so."

Tigress leaned back.

"What if I guessed?"

Tai shrugged. "Be my guest, but I doubt you will get them."

"Xiaofang?"

Tai's mouth almost dropped open, not unlike Crane's, but he snapped his jaw shut quickly. It hung loose fully though when Tigress mentioned Senlin-Mu.

"How did you know?" he breathed.

"I've met them too."

Tai shook his head.

"What did they say to you? Or can you not tell?"

"I can tell. All they told me was that I needed to look out for one with a crooked tail. Something about him helping me."

Tai hid grin. Finally. Finally had he helped someone and had actually become useful. His tail, still bent forever, swished with excitement.

"Well," he said, a slight quaver in his voice, "you found me."

"Yes," replied Tigress. "I think I owe you an apology."

"What for?"

"For not trusting you. I should've listened to the Dragons and should haven't let my paranoia get a hold of me like that."

"Eh, it's fine. I can understand."

There was a comfortable silence between the two tigers as they thought over what had just been said. Tigress looked at Tai who had been looking at her with that same intensity as he had when they first met them. He turned his attention away quickly, pretending to stare at some grass. She saw the tip of his tail twitch just slightly. She shrugged and, much to her happiness, she yawned. At least she would get some sleep tonight instead of lying awake for the entire time. She lay back down.

"Well, then," said Tai, seeing Tigress get back on her sleeping mat, "good night. I hope our journey goes rather easily tomorrow. We, being Shang, Mei, and I, have had not an easy time getting to where we are now."

Tigress rolled over onto her stomach and looked up, supporting her torso with her elbows.

"You talk weird."

Tai formed a small _o_ with his mouth. He paused there, think of a way to justify his _weird_ way of talking. He gave up.

"I guess I do. But that's because I studied language at the University. I try to speak properly."

Tigress's curiosity rose. "What's this University you talk about?"

Tai was now in familiar territory. Knowledge and learning came to him almost like a second nature.

"The University is a place were animals go if they pass a test after they school for a certain number of years. It is located in Mengyou City and is home to some of the finest scholars in all of the China. The only other school that really does compete with it is the one located in the Imperial City, though I doubt it. We are number one in all of China. Maybe even the entire Eastern World."

Tai's chest was filled with pride at the University and Mengyou City, but he deflated when the memories at the flames that had razed Mengyou City and those two cursed wolves, howling their triumph to the sky and his parents kneeling down in bitter defeat. He lifted his lips slightly, baring his teeth. He felt hot all of a sudden, a fire had been kindled in his mind. A voice, his own voice, roaring at him.

_They will suffer! Their entrails will be spewed out and left for the worms to feast upon. Their faces will be the epitome of true suffering. _

The voice was so loud, it felt like his skull was being shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. He clutched at his head and clenched his teeth. The pressure felt like it was going to blow his head apart. He desperately tried to bring his palm up, but it didn't seem to respond. Suddenly, it was lifted up and it seemed as if cool water flowed over him as the Peace Mark glowed a brilliant red and then faded again to be the tattoo it was. He looked at his wrist. Tigress's paws were wrapped around it. She had pushed his paw up.

"Thank you," he whispered, slightly out of breath. "I don't know why that happened. Usually I have much better control of it."

"I have a temper," admitted Tigress suddenly. "So I know what to look for. I also studied a good amount. Found a little about Gu-Yi, kept it memorized randomly."

Tai sighed. "I think it's time we both went to bed. Tired and running are not a good combination. I have first hand experience."

"So do I," smirked Tigress, though she didn't like the memories.

As the two tigers went to their own mats, the moon seemed to whisper to the stars. Their conversation was carried across the Heavens and it seemed to drift through the winds as well. The leaves rustled with the speech of the moon and stars. The rivers burbled loudly, telling the grass what had been said. Finally, the dandelion seeds, with their parachute like tops, floated, carrying what message they had to say.

The Peach Tree of Sacred Wisdom's leaves moved, buffeted slightly by the wind. If you listened carefully, you could hear the wind speak to the tree.

_They are on their way_, it whispered, in its warm, ghost-like voice.

A sudden burst of wind took off some of the Peach Tree's leaves. They swirled around in the mini tornado. All was still as soon as the leaves settled. A apparition of the red panda, Master Shifu, stared out to the lands beyond. He smiled.


	23. The Valley of Peace

A/N: Ahhh, what's this? Another chapter? Good thing I caught it for you and tamed it. So here it is! Enjoy.

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><p>Tai looked across the expanse of the Thread of Hope. The tall rock formations coupled with the vast expanse beneath covered in a perpetual mist created what seemed to be a giant maw, waiting to swallow them up. The long chain of rope bridges swayed every so slightly. The boards on the bridge seemed well-made enough, but there was always the small chance that a board could be rotten. Then it could break and send them hurling downwards into the abysmal depths. Tai shook his head, clearing away the thought. He was sure that wouldn't happen. He repeated the scene of him falling though from the ledge in his mind. At least now they actually had something, not a precarious edge, to hold onto. A bridge, regardless of its style, was ten times better than any shallow outcropping of rock. Ignoring the actual bridgework, the tall tiger looked at the actual formations themselves. They were smooth and tall enough to rise above the mist. Greenery could be seen growing on the tops of a few of them. When one the bridges couldn't connect to one of natures pillars, the architects made a pillar, fashioned out of sturdy stone. Entirely, the rope bridges, the massive expanse of space, and the rock formations together were named the Thread of Hope. It had been crossed plenty of times, yet the first time crossing it was always the most frightening – even if they didn't seem scared.<p>

Tai marveled at the structure itself, from a pure analytical point of view. The amount of work that would have been put into constructing something like this, not to mention the ingenuity needed at times, was astounding. Tai stepped forward to inspect the base of the rope bridge. The stone had been here all along, none of it had to have been imported from elsewhere. The stonemasons instead chiseled it out, creating a very strong support for the ropes that were tied to it. He saw the bridge sway more than usual and looked up. Tigress had already started walking across it without a care on her face. The rest of the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior began to cross as well. Mei went next, her paws locked onto the handrails. Shang stepped forward nervously behind Mei, the Golden cat too was gripping to the handrails for support against the bridges movement. Tai wasn't afraid of heights but the past experiences and just the immenseness of the network of bridges made him a bit edgy. Tai prayed consistently to his ancestors as he took the first steps forward and the ones following that. He _really_ didn't want to fall or slip on this.

"C'mon, you don't need to go that slow," called Mantis from ahead, walking effortlessly on the rope handrail, his pincer-like feet clinging to the twine so that he could even walk upside down if he so wished.

"Easy for you to say," said Shang. "You guys have been on this thing over and over again. I'm sure of it! I'll bet you if you six had to fight on this, you wouldn't even think twice about it!" Shang tested a rather green looking board, it was safe.

Tigress grimaced. They had fought on the Thread of Hope and had, much to their bitter remembrance, failed. The nerve attacks Tai Lung had inflicted had immediately blocked all chi and rendered them paralyzed. Only by Tai Lung's overconfidence were they able to get back home – much thanks to Crane – and had been revived by Master Shifu. Now they walked the path the snow leopard had walked before on his way to ravage the Valley.

A board creaked underneath her weight. She shifted her weight slightly and the board was relieved. She heard Po talking to Shang. Those two were becoming very good friends. Shang's rigorous military training was almost nonexistent around Po. Both shared a fatuous love of whatever they did like. Something told Tigress it had to be food. Food was the one thing that could get the attention of almost any man. Food. That actually sounded good right now.

"Hey, Po, divvy up some food. A light lunch."

The rotund panda happily obliged. He pulled out an piece of fruit and a bean bun.

"Pass those back to Tai, will ya?"

Soon, everyone was munching away on their meal.

"Ahem, Po?"

"Sorry Tigress," said Po, reaching out and handing her some food. Po had been in a hurry to get to his own. She turned around to receive the food. Po dug around in the knapsack; a tricky task since the bridge was wobbling a bit... no, they were on one of the platforms now. As Tigress's paws started to close around a pear, she saw Tai sprinting forward.

_What does he want?_ Tigress asked herself. She saw the rest of the Furious Five, except Po, he was looking for a bean bun, eyes widen and words started to form on their lips. She took another step forward, turning to face the direction she was going. There was nothing there. She started to fall forward. Her training had let her deal with situations like this. She twisted as quickly as she could, but she lost her footing and missed. Her paws grab out frantically. To her surprise, she grabbed hold of something warm and soft. She looked up and saw Tai's face and half of his torso leaning out, his paws wrapped around Tigress's wrists. He stared her. He had just saved someone's life! Excitement filled him. He had done another thing useful and he felt that much better.

"How are we going to get back up?" asked Tigress as she readjusted her grip on his paws. Her feet felt nothing but the air beneath them. She had fallen last time and Crane had been there to catch her but this time it wasn't Crane, not even someone in the Furious Five who had saved her. It had been this tiger. This tiger named Tai had saved her. Tai looked over his shoulder.

"Po has hold of my legs, we should get pulled up quite soon. And all the better too, you are crushing my wrists."

Tigress smiled. Tai's dry humor, when ever he attempted it, was funny...in that bleak, serious manner. She felt herself being pulled upward, in short, jerky movements. Finally, her head was over the edge and she saw Po and the rest of them pulling Tai, which in turn pulled Tigress. She latched her feet to the edge rock and with a powerful burst, she sprung herself upwards, flipping over the edge, landing perfectly on her feet. Tai still lay on the ground, a confused look on his face. One moment he had been looking at Tigress, then the next moment she was gone and now standing beside him. He scrambled up – after Po let go of his legs – and brushed himself off.

"Why'd you fall, Tigress?" asked Mantis. "You _never_, well almost never, loose your balance."

Tigress shrugged nonchalantly though deep inside, she wondered that herself. Why had she fallen? It wasn't like her to get that distracted and, well, fall off a cliff. If it hadn't been for Tai...

She huffed. Tai, that lanky tiger standing behind her, now looking down at the mist, had saved her, beaten her at a match, and had made her tell more about herself that anyone before. It seemed the same with Tai; he seemed to try to hide the Gu-Yi as much as he could, but it clearly gnawed at him constantly. Almost like the red eyes that haunted her dream last night. No. Tigress frowned. The red eyes hadn't appeared in her dream last night. All she heard were two voices in the darkness. Whispering voices – yet not like the voice of the red eyes – no, these voices were friendly and inviting. She couldn't hear anything they said, yet it made her feel safe. She shook her head; she couldn't believe what she thought one of the voices sounded like: Tai's. He seemed to be popping up everywhere and it was pissing her off.

"I think that is a bridge," said Mei who had wandered over to look over the edge.

"It is," said Po. "The Furious Five and Tai Lung fought on the bridge. Heard it was an awesome fight. Even if they did loose." He added this last part quietly so that the rest of them didn't hear.

Shang's eyes widened.

"They _fought_ on _that_?"

The Golden cat's voice was awed. The very idea of fighting on a bridge went against everything his military training had taught him. Yes, Master Kamon had told him otherwise, but it was still astounding to even contemplate that six masters had gone head-to-head on such a narrow battlefield.

"What happened?" asked Tai. He seemed as amazed as Shang.

"We lost," said Tigress bluntly. She didn't want to make excuses. They had failed and that was that. It was in the past and the past couldn't hurt them – could it? "At the beginning we cut the ropes thinking we could control the fight to our advantage." She pursed her lips. "Didn't turn out how we planned it."

"I'll say," said Monkey. "Stupid nerve attack."

"Okay, so, don't mean to ruin your vacation down memory lane, but how are we going to get across now? I don't think jumping is an option. And flying, except for you Crane, shouldn't be thought of!" said Mei.

Tigress shook her head slowly in affirmation but it quickly changed.

"Mei, you are a genius."

"I am?"

"Yes. Crane, can you fly down and grab the end of the rope. Then you can bring it up to the other side and retie it to the pillars."

Crane nodded and went straight to it. He dropped over the edge without a moment to loose. The wind whistled through his feathers and streams of air glided off the tips of his wings forming a ghostly trail behind him. Down and down he dove. He stopped, letting his own momentum downward let wind fill his wings, slowing him. He had already passed the end. He flapped upward before taking hold of the end of the bridge. The rope handrails were gone, but the bridge was all they needed. His wings flapped speedily as he gained altitude. As the remains of the bridge moved upward with him, he saw the other side. Grasping the end of the final bridge even tighter, he alighted on the other side, using his weight to keep down the bridge. Mantis leaped across followed by Viper. The three of them together should be able to keep the bridge from collapsing as the first two cross so that way they could let the heavier ones cross ("Po," coughed Mantis). Shang made a grand, sweeping gesture.

"After you, my cloud," he said.

Mei rolled her eyes and walked steadily across, taking care not to rock the bridge to much. Her balance was uncanny and she made it across without too much swaying. Monkey moved swiftly across, his agility letting him land without too much weight on the bridge. With five others on the end side, Shang walked across. His bulk made the bridge rock back and forth causing him to have to pause in the middle to the let bridge settle down. That left three to cross. Tai copied Shang's gesture, though less dramatic.

"After you?"

Tigress folded here arms across her chest.

"You're afraid to cross," she smirked.

"Yes," said Po and Tai in unison.

Tigress gave them both a unbelieving look as she stepped confidently onto the bridge. At the end, with a deft flip, she landed on the other side without so much as making the bridge move a bit.

Po patted his stomach. Tai was just a bit taller than him, yet he was positive he weighed more than him and Tigress combined. Maybe throw in Monkey as well to the cumulative weight. Tai got the subtle message, yet refused.

"I think you should go first. Test it, make sure its safe for others."

Po gave him a deadpan stare.

"Yeah, about that. You weigh, like, a lot less than I do so how about you cross first and make sure its safe."

Tai really couldn't argue against that. He stepped out onto the bridge. The unfamiliar feeling of no handrails left his paws groping for something to support him. He closed his eyes, thinking back to what Master Kamon had taught him. He, with the turtles help, had walked around the forest without ever touching the ground – with his eyes closed. He had moved from branch to branch without ever opening his eyes. Kamon had told him it would help him focus his chi and let him master feats capable of only kung fu warriors. At first, Tai had been skeptical. Yes, he had seen his ancestors and Dragons but walking around the foliage on trees with your eyes closed using only chi seemed impossible. Kamon had proved him wrong again. Using Kamon's successful example, he had walked – very slowly – around the forest without ever looking around. He felt very accomplished when he had finished it. Now here he was, using the same techniques he had been taught. He felt his footpaw touch warm stone. He opened his eyes. He was safe. He let out a deep breath.

"Wasn't that scary now, was it?" asked Tigress. She knew where they were going now. Home was close; she could feel it. Her only worry was that the wolves had beaten them to the Valley of Peace and had already moved on. She hated the thought, but it was a possibility.

Po made his way to the other side with _everybody_ using their weight as a ballast. As the tubby panda made it to them, they tied the ropes back as best they could.

"We're going to have to fix that for travelers," said Viper.

"After the wolves are dealt with, that can be on the top of our list," said Crane. "I'm sure the wolves are more important than anything else right now. They actually pose as great as a threat to China. Like Shen did."

Tai nodded, though he didn't know who Shen was. From what he had been able to glean, Shen was a peacock who used gunpowder to create a cannon and had tried to take over China. Fortunately – though unfortunately from the peacock – he hadn't gotten passed Gongmen City and had been stopped by Po. And got crushed by his own cannon. Tai rubbed the back of his neck. He itched there.

"Shall we get going again?" he said.

There was a slight mutter of conversation as they turned from the Thread of Hope and went back on the trail to the Valley of Peace. Tigress walked by, looking at the bamboo that fringed the trail with a mix of wistfulness and bitterness. It seemed so short ago that they, the Furious Five, and run through these things to confront Tai Lung. But that was all over know, Tai Lung was no more and here they were on another mission to save the Valley once again. But, hey, that was their job wasn't it? As they continued on, the red, Chinese sun sank slowly, bringing the end to the day. Tigress had become wary of the night. The red eyes haunted her sleep constantly; she woke up constantly feeling less than refreshed. But tonight was going to be different. Last night, she hadn't had that dream. Instead it had been those other two voices. Maybe tonight would bring a blessed, and much sought after, restful sleep. She prayed fervently to whoever might be listening, may it be Xiaofang, Senlin-Mu, or one of her ancestors for the peaceful sleep. The dark, clammy feeling that red eyes brought with it started to come over her, but she shoved it away with the thought of Xiaofang roaring. The thought alone seemed to frighten away the feeling. It was ironic that she had heard of and learned of Dragons, but never had she thought that they would show themselves. Here she was now, a Dragon as close as a friend to her as the Dragons would allow. Immortal they may be and she was, of course, a mortal, but having an immortal as a friend was always a plus.

A twig snapped in two. Tigress's ears perked up, swiveling in place to detect where the source of the sound had come from. She saw Tai had broken off a branch of a tree. It was a cherry blossom tree, its flowers just starting to bloom. The tiger showed it to Mei and Shang. They looked at it curiously.

"What's up with them?" asked Po a little too loudly.

Tai turned, holding up the branch.

"Sorry," he said. "We had...have...cherry trees in Mengyou City, but we've never seen any with this sort of pattern on the leaves. Ours are a bit different."

"Oh," said Po. "How'd you notice that? I've passed by lots of trees yet didn't notice anything different about them."

Tai shrugged. "I enjoy learning and when I went to the University, I was taught about plants a little bit. You have to remember I enjoy studying things and if something catches my eye, I will try to understand, observe, or whatever else you do to things you like."

Po nodded his head. He understood perfectly – about the watching part, not the plant part. Why would someone want to study plants other than herbs and spices? Herbs were for medicines and spices were for food. The other plants weren't all the important for his daily routine.

_I guess he must like plants_, thought Po. That was the only reason he could think of for someone to want to study them. _Now kung fu, that's something _everybody_ should study._

The steep climb before they could finally get into the Valley of Peace rose up ahead of them. The tall mountains were surrounded by hills that transformed into the massive bulwark that kept the little village inside the Valley safe.

As they climbed, Tigress recognized the path they had started to take when they had evacuated the villagers when Tai Lung was coming. They had not walked over this ridge when Tigress remembered the golden shockwave that blasted out of the center of the village followed by a loud, rushing wind. Almost as if she was back there, with the little rabbit in her arms, she felt the remnants of the golden chi magic that had blasted through here and had shaken the leaves of the tree. It had proclaimed the Dragon Warrior's victory! She looked over at Po. He was dutifully walking along and – like usual – talking with Shang. Mei stood next to him, the tips of their tails wrapped around each other's just slightly. Viper slithered beside Mei. The two were in a heated debate with Mantis over the best remedies for aches and pains: acupuncture or herbs and medicines. Her heart warmed when she saw the lights below, spread out like fireflies floating softly over the Valley. This was home and she was back!

"Is that the Valley of Peace?" asked Tai.

"Yes," replied Tigress. "And up there is the Jade Palace." She pointed the Palace out to him; it rested on the top of the stairs, welcoming all.

"Do you rule the people?" asked Tai.

Tigress looked at him. "Rule?"

"Yeah, are they your subjects? Do you have servants? Or, I hope you don't, do you have slave labor? What kind of system do you run here?"

"Okay, I'm confused. Crane, can you get over here?"

The bird flapped over. Tai asked the question again. Crane shook his head.

"Oh, we forgot. Mengyou city has some sort of monarchy, correct?"

"Uhhh, yes and no. We used to have a strict monarchy, but then come some for a bureaucracy with the ruler at the head of it all. Over time, it declined and the other nobles basically become the leading faction. My dad, the ruler, still had power, but it was growing thin and almost nonexistent," said Tai. Disgust at what his cities government had become clear in his voice. He realized the cold, hard truth of his last statement. Right now, his parents had _no_ power.

"Makes sense that you would think that," said Crane. "Here is a lot different."

"The villagers usually are able to settle disputes among themselves, but if anything big happens, that's were we come in," said Tigress, catching on to what Tai asked. "As for servants, slaves, and subjects...we have none and never will need them."

"An interesting idea. Part of your kung fu training I assume. Master Kamon covered it a little bit. I can understand partially." Tai paused. "But I won't say that I didn't enjoy servants from time to time."

"Never had them and I don't care about servant," replied Tigress. She made a sour face. "Besides, I wouldn't want someone to dress me or bathe me. It's my privacy and I would like to keep it that way."

"Never thought of it like that," Tai mused. He started to drift away but changed his mind and continued to keep step with Tigress. He came almost a bit too close for her comfort, but decided against telling him to move away.

Tai was slightly excited. He was nearing his destination: the Valley of Peace! Finally he had done something one might call heroic in his life. They had delivered a message of extreme importance to the famous Furious Five and Dragon Warrior and were now going to assist them in saving their own village. This was something that he would be proud of. Not to mention he would rescue his parents as well. He had been formulating a plan all along, speaking with Shang about it. During the battle – they were sure there was going to be some form of conflict – Tai could make his way over and free them. How excited would they be to see him after all this time! He could only imagine the look on their faces as he freed them! Maybe, just maybe, he would return to Mengyou City and try to get rid of the wolves oppression there. Tai shook his head. Where had he gotten that ambition from?

_Better take one step at a time_, admonished Tai to himself. _Slow down and enjoy the sights as well_, he added looking at Tigress.

Tai admitted to himself, and maybe Shang, that he was stricken with Master Tigress. Of course, he was slightly shocked by his own attraction for her. He had never thought himself to be a romantic one, yet here he was with butterflies in his stomach.

_Wish they would fly out_, he thought.

The male tiger was very wary that the possibilities of Master Tigress actually having mutual feelings for him were something around the number zero. He looked up at the stars.

"Help me," he muttered, still looking up. He felt his foot paw catch on something. He tripped. Putting out his paws, he caught himself. Getting up, he brushed himself off. Everyone was looking at him. He blushed.

"I am sort of a klutz," he admitted. He glanced at Tigress. She wasn't smiling. Was that a good thing? Was she sensitive that he was okay? Or did she think that he had done that on purpose. Hell – er, best not use those words – or did she think he was a klutz. A 'nerd' as Curo had called him. He pushed the thought of the rhino out of his mind. He was far away from him and hoped to never see that blasted rhino ever again. Shang's eyes met Tai's. The Golden cat winked.

_There is no hiding secrets from _you _is there?_ He thought. Shang was good at guessing at some like _that_. Probably because he had a girlfriend himself – not to mention she was also his second best friend as well. He caught up with Tigress. He could almost smell the faint scent of her fur reach his nose. He breathed deeply, feigning relaxation. What was he _doing_? This was not a time to get all trippy over a female tiger. No matter how lovely she was.

_Shuttup!_ Tai almost yelled to himself out loud. _One would think that I would have more control over this. _He stopped rebuking himself. His mothers words came back to him. She could be right; there _might_ be someone out there for him and she, Master Tigress, _might_ be the one. He snorted. What was he thinking. Well, he was thinking happy thoughts for once. Besides, Xiaofang had told her to look out for him! His eyes drooped slightly. It could very well be that it was just so that way the warning could be conveyed and he was a rather unique individual. He doubted there were many other tigers with crooked tails. But what about Senlin-Mu? He had said one night, when Tai had been summoned by him to his forest, to look down in the water. There was nothing at first. Then, the sister Dragon of water's face – Shui – had appear in the water. She told him to look further in the water. There had been a grey mist. In the center of the swirling haze had been Tigress. He had questioned what he was seeing. Senlin-Mu had replied that it was a dream he was seeing. Often a pair of red eyes would haunt her dreams. Sadly, it wasn't just a nightmare. Something would come up that would ruin the Furious Five, but it wouldn't be until later. Just his presence frightened them away. He had scoffed at such a proposition yet the Dragons had been serious. His expression had simply asked how. To that, they gave him no answer. Something's were simply too mysterious for ever a Dragon to explain or even know. Things were too secret for even the Jade Emperor to know; but those were rarer anything in the world. A simple goodbye had followed and he had been sent back to sleep. Now he was here, after a few days of traveling, nearing the Valley of Peace with Master Tigress.

Shang let go of Mei's paw, unwound his tail from hers as well, and walked over to Tigress. He coughed to get her attention. Tigress looked at the Golden cat with slight exasperation at his method of getting her attention.

"So, uh, how are the defenses at the village? What form of garrison do you have? Is there a circulated guard or is there just a militia of volunteers? I would like to know beforehand so that way I can get an idea of how to defend the village. Speaking of defense, what sort of defense do you use? From what I see here you don't have watchtowers or walls, so you must have trenches, right?"

Tigress, along with the rest of the Furious Five and Po, gave Shang a rather confused look. _What was he talking about?_ Defenses?

"Hey, Shang," said Po, "we don't have any. After all, this _is_ the Valley of Peace. We don't get armies knocking on our door that much."

Shang's jaw hung loosely as he gave them an incredulous look; which, in turn, morphed into a rather comical expression.

"You are telling me that you have _no_ defensive structures or anything like that?" roared Shang. He was rather dumbfounded that they had no defenses. "Then what do you use?" he spluttered.

Po shrugged. "We usually fight them off. No big deal. A bandit here and there really doesn't stand a chance against our awesomeness."

"Besides that point, what about if something bigger came?" asked Shang. He was still trying to figure out how you didn't have defenses of some sort! Offense as your defense wasn't such a good strategy, not by any means. Though it seemed to work for Master Tigress.

"Nothing ever did, so we didn't prepare for it," said Viper.

"Until now."

"Until now," agreed Tigress.

Shang tapped his chin. His tail swished agitatedly. "Then what did you use in case the villagers were in danger?"

"We would evacuate the Valley before something or someone like that could come," supplied Crane. Shang nodded. This was something he wasn't prepared for.

"When we get there, we're going to have to immediately move the villagers out. Do you have any reinforcements available? Like a militia?"

Shang was a loss for words when they shook their heads no. He saw a large farm for rice. They were nearing the village and already he could see what they meant. There was nothing that could even be _called_ defense. A pig farmer looked up and waved a cheery hello to them. The farmer ran to a gong and started banging on it. The loud, deep reverberation echoed throughout the night air.

"Funny, I don't remember that being there," said Monkey.

"Must've put it there," said Mantis. "Probably to tell anybody who is listening that we are coming back."

"Awesome," breathed Po.

Tai dipped his head away from the farmer as the pig stared at him hardly. He moved away from Tigress's side. The pig still stared at him with piercing eyes. He backed away from her as well. Tai wasn't sure if that was what the pig was telling him to do, but he just felt awkward standing that close to her when they were heading into her home.

As they neared the cozy village, they could already see the citizens trickling out, some holding lanterns about their heads while others tried to shush their children. A sudden roar rolled over the crowd. The Furious Five and Dragon Warrior had returned! Jubilation! The villagers rushed forward, trying to welcome the kung fu Masters home. Tai, Mei, and Shang backed away from the oncoming hoard. From what the others were doing, they were obviously used to this. Po motioned them forward. Trying to use the best route among the throng, they picked their way through the crowd. Some villagers gave them curious stares. Others growled.

"What was that for?" whispered Tai out of the side of his mouth. He didn't want to upset them at all.

"Probably 'cause they think we're the villains who killed Master Shifu. I dunno," murmured Shang back.

"I'm horrified," said Tai.

Shang chuckled. "I guess you should be."

The Masters reached the stairs that led to the Jade Palace and then turned around to face the entire town. A goose squawked and made his way up to the front.

"Po!"

"Dad!"

Po knelt down slightly as the goose gave him a big hug.

"Dad?" asked Shang, Mei, and Tai all at once.

"Confusing, I know," replied Mantis. "Po's adopted."

"Gotcha," said Mei. Shang just nodded. Po certainly was a unique Dragon Warrior.

"How was your journey, son? Did you catch them?"

"Uh, I'll tell you later dad. I'm kinda tired," said Po. He yawned to emphasize his meaning.

"Of course, what was I thinking. Now, I'm sure you'll ask me how the village behaved. Well, they did rather well. Nothing too big came up; nothing I couldn't handle. But, glad to have you back, son."

Po rose to his full height.

"Hey, everybody. We're kinda tired and we'll tell you all everything...tomorrow!"

"Are those the assassins?" called out somebody from the crowd.

Po faltered. He hadn't expected that. Tigress stepped in for him.

"No. They are friends. Seriously though, get back to your homes. You're going to have a long day tomorrow."

With a series of mutters, the village went back to their homes. Lamps were extinguished as the crowd went back to their houses.

"Up we go!" said Po as he started up the stairs.

Tai looked up and gulped. That was a long way up.

* * *

><p>With a long breath, Tai made the final step and almost collapsed on the pavement at the top. He – they – were finally at the Jade Palace. Wait, no, he was going to collapse. He held up a paw as the world around him started to go black.<p>

"Catch m'..." he said, starting to crumble.

Tigress leapt forward, catching him in her arms. Sort of embarrassed, she eased Tai to the ground.

"Never climbed stairs before?" she asked, though not unkindly.

Tai sat up.

"I have, just never so many. Sorry, got a little lightheaded. Not enough air or something. Anyways, I'm back."

Tai propped himself up and then proceeded to get back on his feet. Straightening himself, he started to sway, but caught himself.

"I'm going straight to sleep," the thin tiger said. "Tigress is right. Tomorrow we _all_ have a long day." Everyone nodded. He turned to no one in particular. "If you could be so kind, can you show us to our quarters for the night. That would be splendid."

"You guys can use the guest room. A little small for three, but it'll work."

"Good enough for me," said Shang.

The guest room was enough for them. As accommodations were made, Tai couldn't help but shout out.

"We made it!"

Shang grinned.

"Something I never thought I would see," said Mei. "Me actually helping to save China. Wonderful thought, isn't it." Mei yawned, showing her pearly white incisors. "Now let's get to sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow. I'm sure it will be filled with a bunch of disappointed villagers and I don't want to face that without any sleep. So...goodnight."

With that, Mei rolled over to face the wall. Shang chuckled and slowly got down in a prone position. Mei's yawn was infectious; Tai and Shang both yawned too. Tai blinked slowly. Letting his head rest on a pillow, he fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Tigress sat at the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom – or just the Peach Tree. She stood next to the tree, letting her paw run over the smooth bark. Had she failed or had she passed? She had failed to avenge Master Shifu. There was no doubt there. Yet she had controlled her anger and probably was going to save the Valley of Peace from that massive army that would arrive in...well, who knows when.<p>

_From what Tai says, it will probably get here in around a week or so_, thought Tigress. _How an army that size move so fast, I don't know._

She sighed. Everyone was asleep, yet she just couldn't get herself to go to bed. Something gnawed at her...again. It was that same question. Had she failed or succeed? One part of her said that she did succeed. She had done something for the greater good of China probably. Think about it; a massive army, bent on conquering China, was coming here and they were going to stop it! The Furious Five and Dragon Warrior would be heroes once again!

But, at the same time, Master Shifu's death wasn't avenged. Tigress narrowed her eyes. Those three, no, _four_, were still out there, living life with that knowledge. It sickened her. The tip of Tigress's tail seemed to have a mind of its own, doing circles in the air. Clearly, she was agitated.

"I think the true question is – why are you confused?" asked a voice behind her. It was _so_ familiar.

Tigress turned, afraid of who she would see behind her. To her shock and, almost embarrassing excitement, it was Master Shifu. Well, almost Master Shifu. More like Master Shifu in spirit form.

"Master," said Tigress, bowing low. Inside, she bubbled with so many emotions. What would he say? Something shimmered next to the red panda. Standing, or floating, next to Shifu, with a swirl of peach leaves underneath him, was Grandmaster Oogway.

"Master_s_," repeated Tigress. Now she was a bit worried. If two of them where here, what did that mean?

"Ah, Tigress," began Oogway. He rested his claws gently on Tigress's shoulder. It was a comforting act. "Why are you so worried?"

"Because," she whispered. "I failed."

"Or so you believe. Look at yourself. I do not see failure. I see a tiger who is too worried about success or failure."

"What are you trying to say, Master Oogway?"

"What he is trying to say, Tigress," said Shifu, "is that you did not fail me."

Those words rushed over Tigress like a cool stream. Her Master said she hadn't failed...but how?

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, Master, but I _have_ failed you."

Master Oogway let out a chuckle. Shifu's ears folded back on his scalp. He was a bit ticked now.

"You have not failed me, Tigress. You are a fine warrior. You only believe you failed me. You have not because there is still time too avenge me – though I truly don't wish it." Tigress held herself from reeling back in shock at Shifu's statement that he didn't wish to be avenged. "And remember this, Tigress, from failure you learn. From defeat you will get stronger. Already you are, how else would you have controlled your anger so well? Tigress, look past the past but learn from it. Like Oogway had said to Po, focus on the present, it's all you can do."

Tigress laughed. This meant a lot to her. Master Shifu wasn't entirely lost to her, he just wouldn't be able to be there Master at the Jade Palace. He would be with them though, watching them.

"Master Shifu, I cannot thank you enough," said Tigress.

"Then don't," said Oogway, smiling his toothless smile. "It would take too long. Time is something you have only a week of. Now, if you'll excuse us, Tigress, I am rather tired. We will see you around."

Oogway winked on Tigress at his last words and peach leaves fluttered around them, obscuring the tiger's view until the leaves dropped to the ground. Were Oogway and Shifu once stood, there was nothing. All that remained was a peach. She picked it up and walked to the barracks. Munching on the peach, she slid into bed. The lamp still flickered next to her. She could hear the snoring of Po in the room across from her. Mantis's slight chirps punctuated the normal rhythm of the snoring. From Crane's room, she could hear him ruffled his feather and change positions in his sleep. She stared up at the roof, she was rather peaceful. True, there was much to do in the next week or so and it would be rather important, but for now she was home. Her Master, and the closest of who she could call father, had told her how proud he was of her and they had made new friends too. Fate and destiny – maybe the Dragons too – like to have life take the weirdest twists and turns. For now, she was fine with that. The familiarity of her cot overtook her. Her custom made blankets, one of the few things unique about her room from the others, draped over her. She was at home and she would protect it from further enemies. No one would take away her home.


	24. Making Plans

A/N: Alright, sorry its been awhile since I updated. Things have taken a bit longer than expected. Anyways, here is the next chapter in A Long Journey. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>The morning sun greeted everyone early in the day. Sunlight filtered in from the shutters in their windows, giving everything a golden appearance. Everything including Tai's face. He squinted as the light hit directly over his eyes, giving him a rather rude awakening.<p>

"Uh, why so early?" he moaned, rolling over. The lump on one of the cots rose his head a little bit.

"Don't know," Shang mumbled. "It's damn annoying though. Thought maybe we could get some time to sleep in. Guess not. Up we get!"

Throwing his legs over to the other side of the bed, slipping his feet in the shoes they had provided, Shang got slowly up. Normally, back at the barracks, this would have been unacceptable. But today, after they finally got to their destination, Shang really didn't care about what his commander would've said.

_Chances are he's dead anyways_, thought Shang, grimacing at the thought.

Mei was still sleeping, so Shang and Tai – after much complaining about the time – got dressed. As Tai's shirt went over his torso, Mei finally woke.

"Good morning!" she said through a rather luxurious stretch. "Alrighty! Today is the day we get the villagers out and prepare for the wolves! Going to be a lovely day."

Shang laughed. "It's going to be a nightmare; that's what its going to be."

Mei grinned as well and then shooed them out of the room.

"Time for me to get ready. I know that _you_," she pointed at Shang, "wouldn't mind staying in...but..."

As soon as Tai heard that, he left. He didn't really want to get involved in Shang and Mei's...whatever it was.

* * *

><p>It took Tai a while to find the mess hall – or mess room. He spent a good portion of his time though taking his apparent position of being 'lost' to explore the Jade Palace. From the top of the roof to the ground floor and the garden, everything was what Tai had read about. It was a magnificent building. The Hall of Heroes was second to none, though the massive crater near what seemed to have been a pool detracted from the entire atmosphere. The stories that had been told about the attempted capture of them and the, terrible, successful assassination of Master Shifu had left that crater a astringent reminder of his death and the enemies underhanded ways. He skirted around the crater, gazing in awe at the pillars, the shapes that had been laid on it were outstanding. The craftsmanship involved in the construction must have been painstakingly tedious. Yes he had visited the other areas on the Jade Palace – though he still couldn't find the mess room – yet none compared to this hall. It was absolutely stunning. He glanced down from looking at the ceiling. The jade greens and the light turquoises glinted the light softly, giving everything a bright, natural lighting that complemented it all. Tai started to run a claw along the inlaid patterns as he walked alongside the wall. His eyes wandered to the far end of the Hall. Massive bookshelves were filled the scrolls at the end of it. Tai paused. Why did those scrolls seem to familiar. There was something about them that made them seem, different. Scrolls were scrolls, but these scrolls were not <em>just<em> scrolls. He walked forward, cautiously, and reached to pick one up from the rack.

"Ahem," came a stern voice from behind him.

Tai jerked his paw back and brought it to his side as he whirled around. Clearly he had been doing something wrong and had been caught – but what was he doing wrong?

"Sorry, didn't know I wasn't supposed to touch those," he stammered. It was Tigress. Of all the animals, why did it have to be Tigress?

"Uh huh. You know what those are?" Tigress asked with her arms crossed over her chest. Her face was emotionless.

"Scrolls," he said. Immediately he felt stupid. To save himself he added, "But I'm not sure what kind of scrolls. History?"

Tigress shook her head. "They are the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu. In order to become a true master, you have to read, comprehend, and be able to perform each and every move from each and every scroll. Few have done it and those that have, well, they have been very powerful and very good at what they do."

"Have you mastered them?"

Tigress looked directly at Tai. Her ocher eyes burning with flame. Tai almost shrunk back yet he was enthralled by those eyes. He could stare at them forever...why was he thinking that? Funny, he was getting – what seemed like – a lecture and all he could think about was her eyes. Heavens and Dragons above, what was love doing to him?

"No," she replied. "But I will. I am very close. How far are you?"

"Haven't read them at all. Don't know anything about the chi magic – I think that was what Po used when he preformed the Wuxi Finger Hold. I just know what Kamon taught me and showed me how to do. Oh, and what ever I learned at the Mengyou City Training Grounds. They were...are...knowledgeable about that. I think they might have copies of the Thousand Scrolls there. I never did get advanced enough to read them. I wish I could have though. I learn better with books and text sometimes."

"I'm sure about that," said Tigress, rolling her eyes. She had heard that from him a lot. Though it impressed her that he was more intent on knowledge than on kung fu and fighting. Too often she had gone against or saw pupils who just wanted power and nothing else. They wanted to get good at kung fu physically, yet not mentally.

Sometimes they were like Po when he first arrived at the Jade Palace. Too fan like and rather enthusiastic to an annoying degree. They wanted to skip the philosophy behind kung fu and what Master Oogway had laid about before them so they might achieve Inner Peace and harmony with the universe. The perfect Yin and Yang. But here was a student who wanted to learn that knowledge and focus on that instead of _just_ the art. Unusual, yet satisfying.

"How old are you again, Tai? I don't think you answered by question when I asked you before?"

Tai clammed up.

"W-why do you want to know that?"

"Because it will let me figure something out."

"I'm hungry, where's the mess hall anyways?" Tai said, trying to change the subject. He started to walk off, but Tigress flipped him around and placed him right in front of her.

"You are avoiding the question. How old are you?"

"Why do you care?"

Tigress let go of Tai. She studied him for a while, gauging his emotions. He seemed very nervous. His tail was twitching spastically and his upper lip was slightly lifted, showing the base of his fangs. She decided a different approach.

"Tai, why don't you want others to know?"

Tai's lip lowered, hiding his fangs once more. His shoulders drooped. His foot paw tapped the floor as he thought of an answer. Nothing seemed like it would convince Tigress.

"I'm embarrassed by my age," he said dejectedly.

"What?" asked Tigress.

"You heard me correctly. I am embarrassed by my age."

"How? Do they not take you seriously?"

"No. Nothing like that. Listen, I'm actually twenty-one."

Tigress blinked in surprise. "_Twenty-one_? I thought you were younger...oh, that's what you mean."

"Precisely. I'm rather naïve and, you could say, childish. Other than my knowledge, I've got nothing really to speak up for how old I really am. You have no idea how annoying it is to constantly be called younger than you really are. It's frustrating."

"I can see why."

Tai looked up. "How old did you think I was? And the truth. No lies."

Tigress looked away. "Sixteen," she said quietly.

"_Six_teen? Not even nineteen or eighteen? See what I mean?"

"Uh huh. I'm hungry and breakfast is almost over. Pretty soon we're going to have lots of villagers asking questions knocking on our front door. I don't want to have to face that on an empty stomach."

"Of course. Actually, I was looking for the mess room when I got lost. I'm going to love looking around here more after everything is finished...or not. Never know what will happen."

Tigress nodded slowly at Tai's rather disconcerting acceptance of death. Shaking it away, she took the lead and showed Tai the way to the mess hall.

* * *

><p>"Finally got here!" exclaimed Shang, waving a spoon up in the air at Tai. "Grab a seat and hurry up! Po makes incredible noodle soup!"<p>

Mei looked up from her bowl. Noodles sat in her spoon, dripping the warm broth, as she brought up the spoon and into her mouth. Mei nodded.

"They are incredible. Though, Mr. Ping's, uh, Po's dad's noodles are a bit better. Sorry about that."

"Nah, it's no big deal," said Po, sliding a filled bowl across the table to an empty spot. Po handed Tigress a bowl as she walked past him to her usual seat. "I know he does. What do you think Tai?"

Tai was already halfway through the serving. He held up his paw. His mouth was full. After chewing thoughtfully, he swallowed.

"I must admit Mei. You were right. That little noodle shop doesn't compare to this at all. I do wonder what Mr. Ping's noodles taste like. How can anything be better than this?"

"Easily," said Po, sitting down heavily on his chair. The chair groaned in protest as Po shifted his weight to get comfortable. "My dad is just a really good cook. Is your dad good at cooking?"

"Wouldn't know," said Tai. "He never cooked."

Po shrugged and he took a long slurp of his soup. The noodles were gone from the bowl before anyone could even blink.

"Ahh, well, that was good. Anyone up for seconds?"

Everyone raised up their bowl. They were hungry. As seconds were passed around, Shang brought up the subject that no one really wanted to talk about.

"Alright, what are we going to do? We have no defense, the villagers who don't know a thing about fighting, and we have no back up or reinforcements. First things first though, the villagers. We can talk about the other things later. Tigress?"

Tigress looked up at Shang. She ran a claw around the edge of the bowl, thinking. Her tail swayed back and forth, as if moved by a gentle breeze.

"We've had to evacuate the Valley before, I don't see why we couldn't do it again. Besides, you said we had around a week. They could get far enough to be out of any danger from the army."

"Okay, is that the only option?" The Furious Five nodded. "So its settled. The villagers leave. What about us? We're going to have to do something, but what?"

"We're going to have to fight," said Viper.

"Yes, but only nine against twelve _thousand_?" asked Mei.

Viper looked at Mei, her tongue flicked in the air.

"Ever heard of the Battle of Weeping River?"

"Heard of it, don't really know about it."

"Basically it was us – the Furious Five – versus an army of five thousand."

Shang's jaw dropped. It was something that was becoming very common with him. The feats the kung fu Masters had preformed were astounding.

"And you won?" Shang asked incredulously. His eyes were wide and his paws were set firmly on the table.

"Yes," said Monkey simply and went back to his soup as the rest of them started to talk about what they could do.

Tai leaned back on his chair. His paw was resting on his chin. He looked at the map Crane had set out when he heard Shang start to talk. There was going to be archers, spearmen, infantry, shield wielders, and, from what he had seen, assassin-like elite soldiers. The map showed a basic outline of the village. There wasn't a lot that could be done to make the perimeter better. On the other hand, if they fought using the height of the Jade Palace or went out to meet them, it would be better. Tai cleared his throat. No one noticed. He did it again, louder this time. Finally, they looked at him.

"What?" asked Shang.

"I say we should either fight near the Jade Palace or meet the army somewhere where we would have the advantage. It'll be our best shot."  
>"Why?" asked Mantis.<p>

"We will have some advantage in height."

"I thought you didn't like violence and fighting?" asked Tigress.

Tai shrugged. "I don't. That doesn't mean I won't read up on it once and a while. I've read a few books on tactics; never thought I would use them."

"I see you're point, but we won't use them. This is not army against army. This is nine of us versus twelve thousand. The odds are going to be somewhere around..." Tigress started to count on her claws.

"Around one thousand three hundred and thirty-three to one," supplied Tai.

Tigress glared at Tai. "Yes," she said slowly. "That. As I was saying, it's not going to be anything like how the Imperial army fights, let alone mercs or bandits."

"Then what are we going to do?" asked Po. "We need to get this settled."

"I say first thing is first," spoke up Mei. "Those villagers need to get out!"

* * *

><p>Po hugged his dad. The goose stepped back.<p>

"Once again, you're going to save China, son. Why does it always have to be like this?"

"I dunno dad. Being the Dragon Warrior makes me kinda have to do this stuff."

"Ah, I understand. I hate leaving the noodle shop again though. Can you at least try to make sure it's kept intact? I really don't want to spend the coin on fixing it."

"Will do, dad," said Po, giving his dad a large grin.

"Good. I'm off. Goodbye!" exclaimed Mr. Ping, turning and waddling away. Behind him he dragged the large noodle cart. "There are still customers waiting," he said.

"Hope to see you soon!" said Po, waving back.

"No, _will_ see you soon! Fight well!"

Along with the rest of the villager evacuating the valley, Mr. Ping blended in with the rest of them – other than the giant noodle cart he pulled behind him. The sound of the villagers voices mingled with the sound of their carts being drawn or their hooves striking the stone roads that paved the way in and out of the valley.

It had been noonday when they had walked down the steps to the expected crowd that had gathered at the base of the Jade Palace. They all pressed forward to catch a glimpse at the new guests of the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior. But, in reality, they wanted to know what had happened during the long months they had been gone. Normally missions like chasing or hunting down didn't take that long. The missions would last maybe for a week or so and they would be back. The longest they had ever been gone before had been two months. _This_ broke everything they had come to anticipate. Using patience granted to them by years of training under Master Shifu, they told the entire tale. Groans, gasps, and other noises had risen from the crowd during the narration. Surprisingly, besides a clear hatred for the assassins, the villagers took the news quite well. Of course they were disappointed that Master Shifu hadn't been avenged, but the past was the past. They were just happy that Furious Five had got back unharmed. What they didn't like was the dark news that the strangers (or 'friends of the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior') had brought back. Now they had to leave.

Po watched his dad leave. This was the third time they had parted like this. All the other missions hadn't been like this. It had been a simple find the bandits, beat 'em up, and then return. Po sighed and turned back to the Jade Palace. His section of the village had been taken care of. Tai, Shang, and Mei were up there working on plans for the upcoming battle. Nine against twelve thousand! This was going to be interesting. He hadn't ever been in a fight that magnitude, though Shen's army had been somewhat close. He hoped everything went the way they hoped. Tai, from what Po had seen, was excellent in defense. Shang was all-around good and Mei was so agile it seemed almost impossible.

"What do you think's gonna happen?" asked Mantis coming up beside him. "Think we're even gonna make it out alive? I mean, _twelve_ thousand. That's a big number."

"Hey, chill. You've got us and me and the other three. I think we'll do fine. I mean what's the worst that could go wrong?"

"Uh, we could die?"

"True...but that's like the worst case scenario."

"Still the worst thing that could go wrong. Oh, hey Viper."

Viper had slid right next to them soundlessly. Her side had been finished as well.

"I don't see how we are going to be able to beat them all, but I have faith in Tigress. She will lead us."

"What about the other three? You know, Tai and stuff," said Po. He lowered his voice somewhat, though he wasn't sure why. They were no where near Tai.

"I'm not sure...it'll take a while before I can make a decision. He's kind, but as a leader? I don't really think so. Do I trust him? Yes and no. It takes time."

Po and Mantis nodded. It made sense what the snake was saying. The faint sound of Crane's wings came from above them. He landed on Po's left, opposite of Viper. Mantis shifted himself on Po's shoulder to face Crane.

"How was your section? Funny the way Tai made us do it in sections. Made it seem like it would help. It did in a way, but it didn't."

"I personally thought it was a smart way to evacuate the Valley."

"Pfffttt, whatever you say Crane," said Mantis.

They reached the steps to the Jade Palace. Po took a deep breath and started climbing. Reaching the top of the stairs was always an accomplishment for him, no matter what anybody else said. Holding his paw on the small of his back, Po made the final step to the large, red doors of the Jade Palace. He half expected Master Shifu there with his flute, but he wasn't there. Po pushed open the doors to reveal the small arena that the villagers could visit. Up further stairs was the second pair of doors that were the true entrance to the Palace courtyard. But what he saw in the arena was it set up like when Oogway had chosen the Dragon Warrior (though it turned out to be him). Tai was standing there, eyes closed, standing up. His paws were together, like he was meditating, yet his ears flicked back and forth; it was like he was listening for something. A trigger somewhere clicked and loud _twang_ resounded. Everyone, except Tai, flexed, and prepared for an attack. An crossbow bolt flew toward the tiger. Another _twang_ came from somewhere in the overhangs. Two bolts were now flying toward Tai from both sides. All of them watched to see how he would react. Tai's ears flicked and he suddenly dropped to a splits. The arrow tips struck each other with a staccato _ping_. Three were fired again. Tai reached up and plucked one from the air, hurling it at another while pushing up with his other arm and legs. As his thin body got airborne, he kicked out. Other crossbows – hidden – fired. His kicked connected with a bolt, it flew upwards. His body began to weave around the arrows in a complicated pattern. Every move and block was calculated to hit perfectly. Because of Po's and the others training, they were able to pick out what he was doing.

_He is good at defense and deflection, _thought Po. _Haven't seen him attack though. Wonder if he can attack at all?_

The last bolt clattered to the stone floor. The one that had been sent flying upwards now rocketed down. Tai resumed his previous position. His crooked tail moved slightly over and the arrow buried itself in the ground. As it stood there, quivering at the impact, Tai rested his tail on it, letting the tip brush the ground ever so gently.

"Eh, that was pretty good," complemented Po, going up to Tai.

Tai's eyes snapped open and he fell backwards. Po reached out and grabbed him before he completely fell over.

"Sorry, you scared me," admitted Tai, helping himself up as well.

"Really? I woulda thought that after what you just did, nothing could sneak up on you," said Po, looking around at the arrows that lay around the tiger.

"Well that's why I'm training more, I'm not exactly the best," replied Tai, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"You can say that again," said Shang, appearing from one of the balconies. Tai looked at Shang with a slightly hurt look in his eyes. "You sent an bolt almost straight into my face! Watch out next time!"

"Sorry," said Tai, even more sheepishly. "Didn't remember you were up there."

"How could you? C'mon, you designed the entire rig."

"How'd you do it?" asked Crane. He was curious about this.

"Ropes," said Tai simply, picking up the crossbow arrows as well. "Along with a system of stacked bolts and, it was a pain to figure out, a pull-back contraption of counter-weights. And I'm not going into _any_ details."

"Can we look at them at least?" asked Mantis.

"Of course," said Tai, waving at paw in the general direction. "We placed them randomly. Shang can tell you were they're at. While you're at it, why don't you drag them out as well."

As the Golden cat showed Crane and Mantis the crossbows that they had setup, Mei walked in from the Jade Palace carrying a tray of tea.

"Hello! Back from the village, I think? Well, of course you would be, where else would you come from? Tea?"

Po politely refused. Tai took one and sipped the refreshing drink. Po looked at the tea again. No steam rose from the liquid. Po made a face. He hated his tea cold. How Tai could drink cold tea, he had no idea. A dumpling caught his attention though. He grabbed it and began to munch away on it. A loud curse came from somewhere at the base of the balconies, from somewhere behind the doors that led up the stairs. Po stood up and took a deep breath; he was back into Inner Peace and ready for whatever might come next.

"Po, that's just Shang's way of saying "oh dear" in a rather crude way," said Tai. "You can relax."

The way Tai said that made Po burst out laughing. He held his stomach from wobbling too much as he shook his head in mirth. He wiped away an imaginary tear.

"Priceless," he stated. The door cracked open and Tigress, followed by Monkey, stepped in through the door just as Shang, Crane, and Mantis heaved the rather large crossbow out from behind the door.

"Crossbows?" asked Tigress, folding her arms across her chest. She expected something a bit more helpful than just crossbows. "You're planning all came down to crossbows?"

Po waited for an answer to come from one of the three, but none came. Po looked at Shang who was busy looking up and down the crossbow. Mei was caught up in another conversation with Viper. Expecting for Tai to speak up, he turned to face the tiger. Instead, he saw a rather goofy face. From what Po knew and what he was seeing right now, he had to say Tai was – how would Tai say it? – smitten by Tigress. Good luck with that. He had already thought about that and decided to stay away. If Tai got Tigress's heart though, kudos to him.

"Uh, uh – no! We tried a lot to do things without you, even from early in the morning, but we soon found out that we really just needed your, uh, all of you guys' help with the area. You know this place better than we do, by far."

"Mmmhm. So, why the crossbows?"

"Training."

"How?"

"Shang and I..."

Mei cleared her throat loudly.

"...uh with Mei's assistance as well, put together something to use the crossbows to train out here. We didn't want to mess with the Training Hall you already have."

"Okay, but we need to focus on what's going to be here in little less than a week! So, what did you need our help with?"

"Setting up some traps at the outskirts of town," said Shang deviously, cutting in. "They're going to get a nasty surprise."

* * *

><p>Setting up the traps took them a while, but when the Furious Five and Po saw what they were, they were sure they would cause at least a little bit of hindrance when the army most likely charged forward. Tigress wiped her paws off from the dirt and headed back to the Jade Palace for dinner. Already a day was gone and the army was another day closer. In around six days would they have to meet the army and when that happened, she didn't want to suddenly remember something that could help them. She was, deep inside, anxious about this. So many things could go wrong and any one of those things weren't desirable to happen. This was an army of <em>twelve thousand<em>. Just the numbers would probably make most quake with fear in their boots. She noticed Shang and Po talking in hushed voices coming in from their sections. Most of the day after lunch had been working to get ready the perimeter as Shang had suggested. She decided to head over to them, see what they were talking about. Whispering to one another was a good way to attract attention.

"I've got a rather random question to ask you Shang," said Po.

"Shoot."

"Does Tai like Tigress?"

Shang had been taking a rather long draft of his canteen and the comment tickled his funny bone. Water sprayed out as he tried to hold in his laughter.

"Are you kidding me? _Like_ is a loose way of putting it," said the Golden cat. "I'm surprised he isn't always tripping over his feet."

"He really likes Tigress that much?"

"The guy hasn't got much romance in his life. Hell, not even friendship. He was lonely for a good portion of his life."

"First time liking someone then?"

"Eh, maybe, maybe not. Never know with Tai. He'll catch you off guard sometimes."

"Why do you think he likes Tigress?"

Shang thought about that for a little bit, "Can't really say why."

"Can't say what?"

Shang and Po almost jumped out of their skins.

"I swear Tigress, do you enjoy creeping up on people?" said Shang

"Kinda," admitted Tigress with a slight shrug. "But you of all people should be able to know I'm coming with that 'military training.'"

"Hmph," replied Shang.

"So, what can't you say?" asked Tigress again.

"Nothing!" blurted out Po.

Shang let his head drop and shake slowly in mock despair. It seemed that Po was terrible at acting natural. Great guy, just couldn't act natural to save his life. Then he cursed himself, his own actions added to Tigress's suspicions. They were both guilty.

"What is it?" asked Tigress sternly.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," said Shang, without giving anything away that might embarrass Tai. It seemed that Tigress wasn't exactly the most friendly to Tai. She had her moments, but Tigress seemed not too interested in Tai. How would she react if she found out Tai _liked_ her in a rather romantic way. Shang smirked. He wondered how Tai would even be able to handle Tigress.

Tigress huffed. Another riddle. Not what she wanted.

"No riddles please."

"It isn't a riddle. It's a matter of observation," said the Golden cat with a wink at Po. Teasing her was fun.

"Seriously? You're going to go with that? You are acting really immature."

"Haha, isn't that the truth? Speaking of acting your own age, you seem to have something out for Tai; do you even like him?"

"That has nothing to do with age! You're sounding like Mei!"

Shang stroked his whiskers.

"Been told that before. Gotta get that outta my mind. Now, answer the question."

"He's a friend."

"You seem to snap at him a lot though," said Po, butting in – and feeling slightly left out of the conversation.

"So..."

"A friend wouldn't do that to a friend," pointed out Shang.

Tigress was silent. She was a bit ticked at Tai. Mainly because he had been able to beat her at that one fight and he kept on popping up in her life. It made her annoyed at him and she had little patience for people who annoyed her. Just like Po when he first arrived.

"Alright, so I am a little mean to him. I guess it's because he beat me at that fight when we first met," she said finally.

Shang and Po looked at each other with knowing looks. They chuckled silently – annoying Tigress.

"I'll bet you that you can't really be nice to him," Shang said, inspecting his paw dramatically. "What do you say? Deal?" He held his outstretched paw in Tigress's direction, waiting for her pawshake in return.

Tigress was about to refused until Shang gave a slight smirk and a wink. Clearly, he expected he was going to win. She would prove him wrong.

"Alright, good. Po, you're witness. Prepare to loose Tigress, just like you lost to Tai."

Po nodded and started walking again with Shang trailing behind, shortly catching up. They chuckled knowingly – ignoring Tigress's roars of protest.

* * *

><p>The day was finally over. There was nothing left to do but meditate, drink tea, eat dinner, train, rest, talk, or play games. Or, maybe there was a lot left to do but it just mattered on your perspective. Tai welcomed this. The manual labor had strained him. Kung fu and manual labor were two entirely separate things. Besides he was more of someone to draw out the plans and then have hired hands build it for him. Instead, he did both today. Not that it bothered him too much – it did – he just wasn't used to it.<p>

He stared up at the stars. Strange, he hadn't had a visit from Li or the other two of his ancestors in a while. Did they think he was fine without them now? If so, he was glad. It meant that he was capable of protecting himself and choosing the right path correctly now. On the other paw, they might be giving a break to get used to his new surroundings and still thought he needed guidance – not that he didn't need it. Their guidance was invaluable and he felt comforted whenever Li was around. To know of someone who had what you had – Gu-Yi – and could help you through tough times was an incredible asset. Tai sighed as he entered the village again. This time it was vacant. Nothing moved. The town was desolate. Only the lights that were lit at the Jade Palace reminded him he wasn't entirely alone right now. Well, he was in a sense. Right now, everyone had gone inside, their tasks done for the day. It had been Tai's job, after the rest of the jobs were completed, to go around and check the handiwork of his friends. It needed to be done well and live up his plans, otherwise they wouldn't work at all. Checking and rechecking had been exhausting work, but he liked it. A tweak there and minor mistake there (he fixed it) and everything would work like a charm. At least he hoped. Their survival didn't depend on this, but it would help them immensely. The traps would, Tai cringed at the word, _kill_ many of the wolves' soldiers before they could even reach the actual village and take hold of it, leaving them the Jade Palace only.

The chances of a Battle of Weeping River reoccurring were plausible. Granted, there were over twice as many soldiers to go against, but they had close to twice the number of defenders. Whatever was going to happen next, nobody knew.

Tai reached the steps to the Jade Palace. He knew what Po meant by they were his worst enemy. He hated the stairs as well. But, for his own sake, at least he could reach the top without loosing his breath anymore. Po still seemed to get winded going from bottom to top. Reaching the top, he noticed the doors had been left ajar. Grateful that he didn't have to knock, he continued on his way to the mess hall. Dinner had yet been served. He grimaced when he remembered it was Shang's turn to cook. He wasn't the best cook and hadn't gotten any better. Maybe he had gotten worse. Ugh. Tai stuck his tongue out as his memory involuntarily brought up the taste of Shang's last concoction. Something he didn't want to think about. Still, if you were hungry, you would eat and hungry he was.

He knocked on the rice paper screen door. A muffled reply came and he slid open the door. To his surprise Tigress was there, cooking.

"I didn't know you cooked?" said Tai, going to the cupboards in search of something. So, maybe Shang wasn't cooking tonight. _Thank the Heavens!_

"Not really. They already ate actually. Mei and Shang went for an evening stroll and the rest of them are training. I trained first and then came here to eat."

While rummaging around in the cupboards, the tin bowls clanking together, Tai glanced at Tigress. "Weren't you hungry?"

"Yes, but I always train like that. It helps get me focused and, I'll admit, slightly more hungry," replied Tigress. She moved away from stirring her own rendition of a soup recipe that was a favorite around the Palace. _There he is again, getting me to say things about myself not many others know. What is with me? And what is with _him_?_

Tai chuckled. "I see." He pulled out a bit of noodles and some spices. A simple dinner he had learned to prepare from the Mengyou City chefs. "Right now, I am ravished."

"And you still talk funny."

"Maybe I do. Or maybe you are the one talking funny. It's all a matter of perspective really."

"What's your perspective then?"

"I'm talking properly and more eloquently, you could say."

Tigress nearly burst out laughing at that statement, but decided it would hurt his feelings. She wasn't going to be mean to him on purpose – after all, she wanted to prove Po and Shang wrong! – and he _was_ speaking with more descriptive words than most used. Instead, she shrugged and went back to making her soup.

"Mind if I squeeze in next to you? I need the stove as well."

"Yeah, sure."

"Thank you."

Silently, the two tigers cooked dinner. It was slightly awkward but at the same time, it was almost peaceful and relaxing – almost. Tigress's was finished first, which stands to reason, and she settled down to have her soup. Tai's bowl slid across the table shortly after, followed by Tai. Taking a seat across and to the left of Tigress, he began to eat. Silence – awkward silence. It was nothing like the cooking silence punctuated by requests for ingredients or utensils. Po walked by the open door.

"Being nice?"

"What?" asked Tai. The remark Po made caught him completely off-guard.

"Oh, nothing," said Tigress quickly. She growled at Po who smiled and scooted off. Tigress looked down at her bowl and ran the spoon along the wooden sides creating the distinct sound of polished wood on polished wood.

"So, uh, Tai, what was, uh, the University like? Like, what did you do there?"

Tai looked up from his noodles with his own spoon in his mouth. A lone noodle was able to jump to safety back into the bowl. He held up a claw and swallowed.

"What makes you say that? You've never really shown _that_ much interest in Mengyou City before."

"Trying to make conversation."

"Fair enough," said Tai and launched into a story about the University.

At first, Tigress nodded occasionally and acted like she was taking in every word. In truth, she wasn't. But then his tale took an interesting turn – after he went off on a random tangent when she asked about what happened before the University. He talked about being isolated from many of the other students or being shunned. Why the population would shun Tai, she didn't know. She had to ask.

"Why'd they not talk to you at all. It was like you were nonexistent, wasn't it?"

Tai grimaced and his crooked tail swished nervously. "It was. I have a few theories why. One seems to be the most correct: Curo and his gang. Chances are if they hadn't singled me out, I would have had friends. But, it seems that whoever was caught hanging out with me also suffered Curo's wrath."

"What's up with this Curo guy? Was he your enemy?"

"Yes and no. His father wanted the throne and Curo didn't like me because I was going to get the throne next instead of him. It's all very twisted in politics, I don't want to bore you."

"Okay, can you continue anyways?"

So Tai obliged. Tigress listened politely and, much to her own astonishment, actually took it in. His life, in a sense, was like looking into a mirror. It spoke of the same sort of loneliness she had felt in her childhood. Only, Tai took his oneness and turned to books and studies instead of kung fu and anger like Tigress had. Thankfully, she was able to have Po take the place of Dragon Warrior; it made her attitude change drastically for the better. Tai was still searching – discovering. She tried to remember what Mei had told her about him before. Something about his nickname – she hadn't really meant to say it, but it had slipped. _Mishi_ – lost. It spoke about him. Almost. She sensed that he was slowly becoming found. Her spoon scrapped the bottom of the wooden bowl. She looked down with a frown on her face. There were no seconds tonight because she hadn't made enough. Tai saw the look on her face and pushed his bowl over.

"Try it," he offered. "If you like it, have it."

Tigress did like the simple recipe and, though she told him to eat it, Tai gave it too her like he had said. "I'm not that hungry," he had said in response. He sat there, staring at her with a hungry, yet pained and almost haunted, look in his face. It was almost like that time when she first met it and, like that time, it unnerved her. She faked a yawn and stretched. Tai took the hint and got up, taking the bowl with him, and volunteered to wash the dishes. Tigress thanked him and got up. It was time for bed. The next days would be taxing.

Tai watched Tigress leave. His eyes ran up and down her body and he had to tear himself away.

_Not the time to gawk at someone – how would Shang or Mei say it? – 'out of your league?' Yep, that's it._

Tai scrubbed furiously at the residue on bowls and spoons. As he did so, his mind thought furiously. How were they going to beat twelve thousand strong with only nine? Plus he had to try to rescue his mother and father. Who knew what horrors they had been through in the captivity of the wolves? Tai shuddered at the thought. He didn't want to know. Chances are, if he did, anger would grab onto a foothold in his mind and Gu-Yi would threaten to over take him now. Mediation – that was how he was going to achieve Inner Peace. Tai was doubtful he would ever get to Inner Peace as quickly as Po did. After all, Po was the Dragon Warrior. Certainly that entitled him being able to do tasks other wouldn't be able to even think about. It seemed like that was the truth from what everything he had heard about the Panda. Just imagine stopping an entire army armed with cannons single-handedly! Or stuffing forty bean buns into your own mouth! Those feats were amazing – even the bean buns...well, not so much really, but incredible nonetheless.

Shang came flying through the door, slightly out of breath. He stood there, hunched over, paws on his knees.

"I just...remembered...something...that could help us," he said, still slightly winded.

"Mmmmmm?" said Tai, though he was preoccupied with the last bowl. Apparently, the others had left their dishes to be cleaned as well.

Shang cleared his throat, trying to get Tai's attention. "Ahem."

"I'm listening..."

Mei came in and propped herself against the door post. She cooled herself off with a fan she had pulled out of her tunic.

"I didn't know you had that," said Shang, distracted now.

"I do and have had this for a while. Surprised you didn't notice it until now," replied Mei. Her voice was steady but her chest heaved up and down. "Have you told Tai yet?"

The Golden cat shook his head. "No," he said, then raised his voice. "He hasn't been paying attention."

"You didn't tell me what it was! I'm listening now, okay?" Tai said, slightly irritated. "Before you start, could you explain to me why you didn't wash your dishes?"

"Never mind that!" exclaimed Mei and latched onto Shang's arm. "He remembered that a group of soldiers patroled around China. They aren't the best, but they help keep order. From what he remembers, there were orders to have them moved from where they are to Tzenshui Province. If we have Crane fly to where Shang thinks they are..."

"...they'll be able to get here to aid us. At least, that's what I think. Not the best to base our hopes on what I think. 'Cause sometimes I don't always think straight," Shang supplied at the end, finishing Mei's sentence for her. "It could help us a lot."

"Mmmm," mused Tai. "It could. But would the risk of Crane being gone that long be worth it? What if they arrived earlier than we expected? Or what if they can't make it in time?"

"Those are all 'what ifs'," pointed out Mei. "Just like Shang's suggestion is a 'what if.' Though, I think its worth it. Crane is a fast flyer and if he can't find them, he can come back here just as fast."

Tai thought about it. There was not a lot that was wrong with her logic – mainly because it was so simple. Crane finds them, great; Crane doesn't find them, he comes back. Shang saw the look of doubt on Tai's face, even though they had valid arguments.

"Its worth a shot," he said.

"Very well," Tai said, nodding his head. Tai checked his paws, he thought he felt a damp spot on them. Must have missed a spot when drying them off from doing the dishes. He grabbed a towel. "We'll tell the others tomorrow. I think they will rather like this news. Who wouldn't?"

"The wolves won't like it," said Mei, her tail swished behind her. Her earring bounced up and down as she twirled around, doing acrobatics around the kitchen and mess room. Not a thing was messed up as she did so.

"What's that about?" asked Tai, trying discern why she was doing what she was doing.

"No reason," she replied as she back flipped off a table and landed with finesse even Monkey would have been jealous of. "Just felt like working off some energy."

"Alright then," said Tai, amazed and confused still at her antics. "I'm off to bed. I think you two should be as well. Tomorrow – and the rest of the week – will take their tolls."

All around the Jade Palace, the lights were snuffed out. Candles or lanterns no longer burned. Everything was dark. Silence had already crept over the Valley and now rested peacefully without disturbance. The pale moonlight blanketed the land in its soft blue glow. There was no wind tonight, but the air had a slight chill to it. A comfortable night. It was almost as if nothing evil were stalking them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It would have been called serene – maybe. Deep in the hearts and minds of those still in the Valley were filled with anxiety, exhaustion, confusion, and many other emotions that interrupted the otherwise calm. Fear even had wriggled its way into their minds but their hearts were pure; they were warriors. And warriors never quit.


	25. Your Enemies Have Arrived

A/N: Ahhh, now this is the chapter, where, I promise, things are going to start happening. Promise. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>At breakfast Shang told everything he had told Tai and Mei. Po leapt up with a mighty shout of joy. Viper smiled. Mantis and Monkey high-fived. Tigress had the slightest sparkle in her eye. Crane, however, let his wings drop. He could very easily fly out and find them, but it was just tiring on how many times he had to be the messenger.<p>

"Something wrong, Crane?" asked Viper, noticing the avian.

"Oh nothing," said the crane, gesturing with a wing toward himself, "its just that I'm going to have to fly around in search of a soldier group that might not even be there!"

"I'll tell you where it is, don't worry Crane," said Shag. "I wouldn't just send you out there flying around, looking for something!"

"But Po might," jibed Mantis.

"What do you mean?" asked Po. "I wouldn't do that." He rocked back on his chair and then clapped his paws together. "That reminds me, could one of you go to my room and grab my bag of fortune cookies?"

"Ahhh, I see what you mean," said Tai to Mantis. "No Po, you can go get them yourself unless you tell me _exactly_ where they are."

"Uhhhh...they are...uh...nevermind."

"My point is proven!" said Mantis, holding up his pincers in the air as in resignation.

Po pursed his lips. "Not cool."

"As you were saying Shang..." said Tigress, reverting the topic back to the group of soldiers.

"They should be between here and here," stated Shang. He dipped a claw in some red ink and made a box around the approximate areas. "Just search there. Its a pretty good sized garrison – to you guys – at around a thousand. Against the wolves, it wouldn't be anything close to a fair fight."

Crane studied the map and nodded.

"Alright, that's better. I can search that in little under a day and a half. If the soldiers are with me, I should be back at least by the end of the week. That good?"

"Perfect," said Shang and told Crane were to go. "Before you go, when you meet them mention my name and then ask that you wish to see Zhou, the commander. They'll lead you straight to the commander. Then again, you _are_ Master Crane. Chances are you won't have too hard of a time convincing them."

"One quick question before I go."

"Shoot."

"Are they Imperial or Mengyou City Guard?"

"Some are Guard but most, I'd say over a third, are Imperial. The rest are from assorted major cities and provinces. But the Guard does have a bit of a pull because of Kun Zhu and his ties with the Emperor. Mention Tai's name – it might help."

Crane nodded and then flew off.

"Great. It will now be, what, thirteen to one?" said Tigress.

"Eleven point eight nine two to be precise," stated Tai matter-of-factly. "Much better odds than our last count."

"If Crane comes back with them," shot back Tigress.

"Of course," answered Tai calmly.

"What now?" asked Monkey.

"Simple," said Mei, a toothy grin plastered on her face. "We get ready!"

The week passed by quickly. More defenses were set up and plans drawn up. Buildings were reinforced and everything was being readied for what they knew was going to be a ferocious battle. Everything that could be done with only nine animals was done. When they had free time, they would train or relax. The most important thing right now was a calm spirit. A strong body coupled with a mind in turmoil was completely against both Master Shifu's and Kamon's teachings. Mediations were performed daily as well as exercises.

* * *

><p>The cool night breeze gently caressed Tai as he walked through the streets of the village. It was like a ghost town; a very battle ready and kept up ghost town. He inspected a thin tripwire and carefully stepped over it. They all had gone through so many drills making sure they didn't accidently activate a trap while in combat. But every trigger, every trap and what it did was burned into his memory. This was all going against his nature. Sure he was supposedly a very powerful being, but he hated that his kind were associated with violence. All they needed to do was look at his father and mother. They were the complete opposite of violence. He wondered that if his race had been given a stereotype because of Gu-Yi. It was a possibility not to be excluded.<p>

He rounded a bend and was scared out of his skin when he almost bumped into Li. His ancestor looked at him with calm, peaceful eyes sprinkled with sorrow.

"_Crimson flow,_

_makes one let the madness go._

_The beast inside_

_Must be pushed back with the tide,_

_Of peace._

_Yet sorrow crushes all_

_When those near you fall._

_Empty and hollow you will feel,_

_As besides their bodies you kneel,_

_Shedding salty tears."_

Tai was unnerved by the short poem Li had just recited. "What's that supposed to mean?" he said, bewildered. Immediately he began to worry. A dark, foreboding feeling came over him. You didn't have to be a genius to recognize that the prognostication was telling him that someone – or two animals – were going to die.

"Please," Tai begged. He was even temped to get down on his knees, but that reminded him of the foretoken. "Tell me! Maybe I can help them!"

"It is up to you," replied Li. His eyes were now full of sadness and hurting. He didn't want this lost tiger to have to go through what he just foretold. Nothing in the world would probably be able to get back what he was going to loose. "I'm truly sorry to be the bearer of bad news."

"Then why did you even tell me!" blurted out Tai. "I didn't need _that_!"

"But at least now you have a chance stop the future from happening."

Tai snorted. His patience, usually hard pressed to snap, was actually wearing thin. "Unless I know what to look out for, I won't be able to stop it!"

Li sighed and let his paw rest on Tai's shoulder in a fatherly manner. "Let's hope you will. Tai, listen to me, I am beyond words in distress that I had to deliver this to you, but I was told to by my superiors, so I must. Please, do not be angry at me. But instead, think on it."

Li bowed his head and turned. Li walked forward and slowly began to rise as if walking by invisible steps and faded into nothing. Tai was left, frozen, looking down the road. The breeze had stopped, leaving the air motionless. He didn't know what to do. His mind tried to wrap around what Li had told him. Something was going to happen to two – their death. Who? Could it be Shang and Mei? That would be terrible! One of the Furious Five? All these were possibilities. But, then again, how did he know that this was going to happen sometime soon? For all he knew, Li could have been talking about later in his life.

"Hey, what's the matter Tai?" asked familiar voice behind him. This was a voice, though, he was glad to hear. Tigress.

"Oh, uh, nothing."

Tigress folded her arms across her chest. "That's what everyone says. Are you sure?"

Tai gave a weak smile. "Positive."

"Alright, it's time we get inside and get to bed. After all, tomorrow is the time when the army is supposed to get here. And still no sign of Crane. Wonder what's taking him so long? He said he would be here by early today. But he's not!"

"I think he'll get here. I'm not too worried about him. After all, Crane is a very good fighter. He can fly away. Think of this also. If he wasn't able to convince them, he would be back already. Chances are, the troop is just having a bit of trouble getting here."

"Glad to see somebody's thinking optimistically," remarked Tigress.

Tai nodded even though, deep down inside, he all of a sudden felt very sick. Two animals close to him were going to die. He didn't want that! These were the closest – well, only – friends he truly had. He could prevent the future though, he could change. Li didn't say it was set in stone. And even if it was set in stone, you can chisel it out and start over. There isn't anything you can't change. He suddenly felt better. Maybe he would change the future. He would just have to watch them all. A daunting task though. Tigress might know how.

"Tigress, would you mind it if I asked a question that might be personal?"

Tigress thought about it but decided that if she thought it was _too_ personal she would ignore him. "Sure."

"How do you make sure everyone around you is safe? Like, I've heard you are very good at analyzing you opponents and the battlefield, but I would like to know how."

Tigress looked at Tai with an inquisitive stare. Why was he asking something like that?

"I'm not sure how I do it," she admitted. "I guess it comes naturally after you've fought a lot."

"Oh," said Tai, disappointed that there was no method do getting that type of complete tactical awareness.

"Who told you that anyways?"

"Po."

"Should've known. He's likely to exaggerate."

"Likely?"

"Okay, he _does_ exaggerate. He doesn't lie. But take whatever he says and trim it down a bunch and you've got the truth. Or, at least, most of it. He leaves other stuff out in his stories."

"I warrant you've had time to get used to it?"

"Yeah."

"Wonder how he's going to tell this story."

Again, Tigress looked at Tai. "What story?"

"The one about us fighting the wolves. Won't it be a marvelous story? How a thousand and nine went up against almost twelve times their number? Even if we don't win, I almost guarantee that, though the wolves may rule, our legacy will be told for generations."

"Still thinking optimistic...right?"

"In a sense. One can never loose hope."

"Yeah...you're right."

There was a comfortable silence between them as they climbed the stairs to the Palace. As they reached the top of the stairs, they heard of flapping behind them. Tai instinctively got into a defensive position, ready for anything. Well, what he considered anything. Tigress pushed his outstretched paw down. Tai blinked rapidly from the contact, but Tigress didn't notice. Finally, the outline of Crane came into view. Tai relaxed. Crane's frantic flapping was followed by his heavy breathing. He half-alighted, half-crash landed onto the threshold. Tai helped the tired bird up onto his legs. Crane looked at Tai thankfully and took a minute to cool down.

"What's the matter Crane?" asked Tigress. Her ears stood straight up and her fur seemed to crackle with energy. She was ready for the worst news possible.

"Zhou...has agreed. Troops are coming...around from...the back. Will be here in an hour," Crane said, sporadically taking in large gulps of the night air. Tai smiled at Tigress and she smiled back. They were going to be able to get the troops dug in before the wolves arrived. Yet Crane's next words crushed there hopes of a waiting period. "But I spotted the wolves army not too far off...They'll be here by tomorrow. We can't mess around tomorrow with getting the troops settled. Will have to be tonight."

Tai's smile was wiped off his face with the overwhelming news. Tigress grimaced.

"I'll get the others. Tai, you help Crane."

Tai nodded and helped Crane get some food and water after his long flight.

The rest were up in a flash when they heard the news that Crane had returned with the patrol and that the wolves Army in Black was almost to the Valley of Peace.

"Glad you're back, Crane," said Viper.

"Me too."

"Alright, everyone, we need to get ready to meet Commander Zhou. Shang, you'll be our spokes person. Tai, I need you by his side – your for diplomacy or whatever politics that might come up. We do need a representative for us though. Po?"

"Nah. I'm not good with that stuff. Monkey should do it."

"Are you kidding me? I'm not going to have to deal with politics at all."

The Furious Five went into an impromptu conference on who should be the Valley of Peace's spokesanimal. No one really had any true dealings with politics, so they settled on Po despite his clear displeasure.

To make sure the transition easier – and to make the hour go by faster – they undid all the traps, making sure that they wouldn't go off when the troops came in to occupy the deserted village. Though they worked diligently, the hour still seemed to pass by agonizingly slow. It would take forever it seemed for Commander Zhou and the patrol to get here. Crane assured everyone that they would be here soon.

Crane proved to be both wrong and right. While the troops didn't get there _soon_ at least they got to the Valley of Peace. Torches had been lit within the patrol, letting the flickering light cast shadows on the faces of the grimfaced troops. A large ox stepped forward from the midst of the troops. He pulled out a large bugle and exhaled deeply into it. The sound that rushed forth from it was a deep bass that rumbled throughout the Valley. Tai felt his heart skip a beat. Po did a little dance step.

_That is awesome_, thought the panda.

The ox, now finished, did a quick march and stood in front of the three. He bowed low to Tai and Po but saluted to Shang. The Golden cat stood up taller. Technically, Commander Zhou was a higher rank than he was, but he had saluted him first.

"Greetings, Majesty Tai and Guard. Hail to you, Dragon Warrior," came the ox's voice; something similar to the bugle, though not as earth shattering. "I received the plea for help Master Crane about your problem and the wolves' Army in Black. What can we do to help? After all, this is what the Li-Chow Patrol is for."

Shang saluted Zhou back. "Sir, may I have permission to speak, sir?"

Zhou nodded sagely. "Permission granted."

Shang nodded and took a deep breath. "We need you to set up within the houses, out of sight. We want you to be a surprise. Other than that, watch for the traps during the battle. Right now we have disabled them."

The ox commander rubbed his short Fu Manchu moustache.

"Sergeant Gangyen!" bellowed Zhou. The ox didn't wait for the sergeant to come and stand at attention. "Sound command. I want groups of five per floor in each house. For every restaurant or market, ten at least if we can fit them in there. I need for them to be able to move comfortably, yet have the most in numbers they can have. Archers I need positioned out, yet hidden, on the rooftops. No fires. Those who can't fit in the houses I want positioned in or around the Jade Palace. Commando groups I need just outside the village ready for anything. Understand?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Dismissed."

Drums began to beat and the well disciplined troops rolled out to designated positions. Tai watched the movement with fascination – beside Po with the same expression on his face: wide-eyed in amazement. Every movement was crisp and professional. Maybe not as fluid as kung fu, but altogether well organized. Tai doubted that these 'weren't the best' as Shang said. These troops looked very good. But he wasn't very good in military judgment. Tactics and actual combat were two very separate things.

"Come, Commander Zhou," said Tai, realizing he hadn't met the Furious Five. "Would you like to meet the Furious Five?"

"It would be my honor to. An honor to boast about to my fellow commanders when I return."

Tai nodded and led the way to were the Jade Palace where the Furious Five had moved in order to let the troops get into their designated position. Commander Zhou acted as if the steps weren't even there and reached the top in the same state as when he was at the bottom. Shang was breathing slightly harder while Tai was the last, making it up there, catching his breath – though Po still took the longest. The ox breathed deeply and sighed loudly.

"Ah, the Jade Palace, home to the greatest kung fu masters in all of China. Guard Shang, are these your barracks now?"

"Yessir. We arrived here to warn them and they let us stay here."

"You are a lucky Golden cat, I must admit. Did only two of you escape the slaughter at Mengyou City?"

"One other," said Tai. "A clouded leopard by the name of Mei Faxian. Shang and Mei are together, you could say. Almost inseparable."

Zhou nudged Shang with an elbow, giving him a mischievous wink.

"Good girl, I hope?"

"Very good, sir. Wouldn't know how to live without her."

Zhou nodded and Tai rolled his eyes, but caught himself. He was one to judge. Just one look at Tigress sent his head spinning. Only Shang had courage; something that Tai needed to work on.

The Furious Five and Mei had gone to the training hall and were practicing. Commander Zhou watched them with silent admiration. When they noticed him, they stopped and walked over to the newcomer.

"Welcome," said Tigress.

"Thank you," replied Zhou. "It is an honor to meet you all."

"The feeling is mutual," said Mei, speaking for the Five. "Anyone for some tea?"

"Dumplings too?" added Po.

"Sure."

As the boiling water was poured from the kettle, they outlined their plans for Commander Zhou. He wrote down the plans and added little notes meticulously on a parchment of paper. Thanking them he bid them goodnight and walked away. Already it was late, so they decided to cut away any further distractions and go to bed. Tomorrow was the day when the wolves' army was supposed to come.

* * *

><p><em>Today is like any other day, only its <em>tomorrow_, which means its today and therefore the present_, thought Tai. _And that means that the wolves' army is going to arrive anytime soon_.

With that gloomy thought in his mind, Tai made his way to the kitchen and mess hall. There wasn't much talking. Just animals eating their meals with a conscious filled with questions and anxiety. Even Tigress seemed slightly unsure about what was going to happen. Mantis tried to crack a few jokes, but they were met with unsettling silence. After breakfast, they trained a bit more, but other than that, they meditated. Mei let her head rest on Shang's shoulder as they contemplated living without each other if one of them died. The others sat, looking forward. Tigress thought of Master Shifu and how he would handle the situation. Po looked off into the distance and wondered how he would do in the battle...and what he would have for lunch. Mantis clacked his pincers together in effort for him to actually be doing _something_ instead of all this waiting. Crane merely traced his beloved calligraphy with his talons on the wooden floor. Viper twirled her ribbons around in intricate patterns. Sometimes she would do a quick hop before going back to absentmindedly moving the ribbon around her slim body. Monkey wondered if would ever figure out how to hide his almond cookies away from Po. Tai simply did math in his head to calm himself down. Finally, the dreaded, yet almost relieving message came to them. As the courier burst through the doors, they stood up on their feet.

"The army has been spotted!" said the courier.

They pushed open the door and stood before the steps, looking out over the Valley. There, coming through the Pass was the masses of the wolves' army. They stood there, watching the enemy troops worm their way to form three-pronged attack positions. When the enemy troops were in their positions, the deep, melancholy war drums called out to the Valley that the wolves' were here to come and conquer. The opposing army setup camp. They had arrived as well.

"That's what we have to face?" asked Po.

"Yes," came the reply from Tai. He felt unusually calm. "_That_ is what we are going to defend China from."


	26. Preparations

A/N: Hello again! So, after a while, I have finally completed _A Long Journey_. No, this is not that last chapter, there are more after this that I have uploaded as well, just to tell you. Anyways, I really I have nothing else to say, so please Enjoy.

* * *

><p>Canku lifted up his snout in the air and took a whiff of the fresh valley air. Underlying the scent of the lilies and the fresh grass, he smelled the metallic aroma of blood and carrion. He was sure that would be the next thing anybody else smelled after he slaughtered the Valley citizens. Yet, something was wrong. There was going to be no victory unless he had the Furious Five! He growled deep in his throat. Zeng had failed him so far. He was less that <em>pleased<em>. Nothing irked him more than subordinates who neglected their orders. So far, Zeng was doing exactly that. He was practicing as much self-control as he could. All he wanted to do was strangle that good-for-nothing bird until Zeng either died or was able to bring him the Furious Five – and the Dragon Warrior – bound so that they could no escape. Then they would suffer and be forced to bow before him as Emperor of China. By his side, his mate as Empress. China was to become a powerful nation during his rule. Let no one doubt that. He snarled in disdain as he caught sight of Zeng coming his direction. Zeng blanched visibly and scuttled out of the way as fast as he could. Canku smiled. Fear and respect – a healthy mix of both could make an army have the iron discipline he required. Kill a few who disappointed you and they fear you. Reward and lead them to victory and they will respect you. He looked down at the village. There was no movement down there. Something that bothered him. The wolf was sure that there would be movement within the walls. Unless, of course, they were all hiding in their homes. Maybe they were cowering pitifully, waiting for the inevitable to come upon them. Victory would be so sweet, even if there was no fight really to be fought. Easy victories were the best in any campaign. What more could you ask for? After all, conquering an entire nation wasn't exactly the easiest task he could have decided to pursue. Oh, but they wouldn't be laughing at him now would they? Their expressions would be the sweetest of the sweet before he sheared them off with a pair of rusty knives. The pain they caused him would be magnified greatly when they felt it themselves. Who would stand before them? Kun Zhu stood with a ribbon tied in his paw, connecting him to his own mate. The masters of the Valley of Peace would soon be at his heels. Gongmen City, the City of the Arch, would fall before him just as quickly as Mengyou City had. Then, he would close in for the kill. It would be the greatest accomplishment. He started to cackle manically. Then he would sit at the Imperial throne! His mouth split in demonic grin. _That_ day. Yes, _that_ day... The wolf sighed.

"Lord Canku."

Canku's face become one like stone again as he turned to face Kar.

"Yes?"

"Your army awaits your command. The Valley of Peace awaits your rule."

"Good. Do you know where Xisong is?"

"No sir."

"Find her please and tell her to meet me in our pavilion by midday. We have things to discuss."

Kar bowed. "As you wish."

The snow leopard did an about-face and left the warlord to stand on the grassy hill. He sought out Xisong. The female wolf would probably be with her pups. Half the time she could be found with her pups. The other half she was found with Canku and the Officers of her army. He walked past a drowsy sentry and struck her hard.

"At the ready. You're lucky it wasn't Canku who caught you."

"Yessir!" said the sentry, snapping to attention.

The army seemed to be getting softer. He would have to alert Canku of that. Something for him to do other than run errands for the wolves'. Kar's tail curled in aggravation. He was tired of having to running between the two mates, giving their messages.

_Why can't they run their owned damned personal errands like this by themselves or get somebody else to do it?_ Kar fumed. _I'm not a messenger! I'm the second in command!_

Kar shook his head as he kept his eyes out for Xisong. A high-pitched wail made him investigate. Sure enough, just as he suspected, there were the pups being herded by Xisong to their very own six-man tent. Part of him wished he were one of the wolves' pups. They were spoiled by their mother and their father was teaching them how to fend for themselves at the same time. It was a luxurious lifestyle and you learned how to fight. Perfect. He shook the thoughts out of his mind. It would actually be very awkward for him to be the son of Canku and Xisong. He stood ramrod straight and saluted.

"Milady, Lord Canku has requested that you be with him in your pavilion by midday."

Xisong let herself look hastily at the snow leopard in case one of her pups tried to make a break for it. She smiled that disarming, yet disquieting smile. It made one think twice before doing anything else.

"Thank you. Anything else I should know about, Kar?"

"Yes ma'am. It appears that the army is getting at bit soft. Caught a sentry snoozing at her post."

Xisong shook her head. "What was the sentry's name?"

"Didn't get it, ma'am."

"Mkay. Go get it and next time, get the names. I think we have a lesson to be taught."

Kar nodded. His face emotionless like always. Looks like the sentry wasn't as lucky as she thought she was. Perhaps even less lucky that it hadn't been Canku. Rumor had it that it was Xisong that was the crueler one and she was just hiding behind the 'new mother' pretense. Kar chuckled mentally. That rumor certainly seemed to be true enough.

"I guess you have something in store for that sentry?"

"You have no idea, Kar. Dismissed."

Kar saluted and went on his way to collect the name of that unlucky sentry.

* * *

><p>Canku stood outside the large tent, tapping his footpaw on the lush grass. It was slightly different from the rougher grasses in Mengyou City. This grass almost felt soft. It swayed underneath his weight yet got right back up again.<p>

"A good philosophy," muttered the wolf. "But what happens when you poison the roots?"

"It falls and will not get back up," said Xisong, coming up from behind him.

Canku smiled. "That's the key to success in any warfare. Now, as I'm sure Kar told you, we have some things to discuss. First and foremost though, Kar brought to my attention that we might have a soft army on our paws."

"Funny, I heard that too. Kar!"

The female wolf's voice rang loud and true. The snow leopard came bounding to the tent and stood in position within moments.

"Rally the troops to the center and bring out our sentry who decided to forget her duty."

Kar nodded and allowed himself a small smile. This was what he was meant to do.

As Kar hurried off, Canku took Xisong by the paw and led her up to the center. In the center, they had erected a wooden platform. There was an opening for gallows to be constructed or for something to be placed underneath it. Right now there was a massive cauldron with a raging fire beneath it, the tongues of fire licking the side of the iron cauldron. The wolves' stood there, patiently waiting for the entire army to muster and look upon whatever they were to say – or do. As the last member trickled in, Xisong gave a subtle nod and Kar shoved the sentry he had caught to the feetpaws of the two wolf warlords. Kar grabbed hold of the chain that connected the two cuffs together and hoisted her up so that she looked Canku straight in the eye. Canku eyed the frightened sentry. He gave her a perverse grin, he was going to enjoy this. After all, he himself said that fear and respect were healthy together and right now he needed to give them a new reason to fear his name.

He leaned forward. His voice seemed to flow like molasses down the sentries ear. "It seems you have forgotten your duty."

"No sir!" she pleaded. "It must've been a mistake. I wouldn't doze off!"

"Funny, because Kar told me you did," said Xisong, filing her claws to perfection.

The sentry speared the snow leopard with a look of pure hatred. Kar's face was emotionless. He couldn't - wouldn't - show anything. Though he did think that if Xisong and Canku killed her it would be a waste. Her past records had shown her to be a good fighter.

"If you can make a good reason why you were sleeping on sentry duty, we might let you off easier than if you can't," offered Canku. Options seemed to be something soldiers appreciated. It gave them the illusion that they had say in whatever was going on, when, in fact, they really didn't.

"I was up late last night, sir. I...was...uh..." The lynx blushed at the end of the statement.

"Oh," chuckled Canku. This was too good. "I _see_. Might I ask who was this lucky gentleman?"

"Kar."

The snow leopard's normally stone face was replaced by shock. Kar started to splutter yet a paw held up by Xisong stopped anymore of his indignant protests. Canku revaluated the sentry. That was an underhand way to get her leverage on someone who gave her away. Genius. Still, he had a image to uphold. He couldn't have anybody just giving him justifications like that. Though, this one was rather humorous. As far as he knew, Kar hadn't had been with a girl at all. No matter, this seemed to be a resourceful. The lynx sentry gave Kar a mocking grin. Clearly, the snow leopard was embarrassed and that was all that mattered to her.

Canku motioned for Kar to let the sentry go and to turn around. The snow leopard did so and was faced with thousands of faces filled with mirth at the expense of Kar. He fumed inside. This would no be forgotten. Canku motioned for Xisong to have a private conference with him. As soon as her face was hidden from the army, she let herself snicker.

"I have never seen Kar so embarrassed," she commented. "That lynx certainly knows how to get to animals. What are you thinking?"

"I still need to punish her. She disobeyed orders. But, her gift with her tongue definitely shows a sharp wit. That's something we need in an Officer instead of some of the buffoons we have. So, what's your decision, my dear?"

"Burn one side of her face, just enough to char skin and scar it as well but give her a position as an Officer. If she doesn't accept," Xisong shrugged, "kill her and its still a win-win situation."

"How so?"

"We punish someone and gain fear from the army. Isn't that what you want in the army? Fear and respect?"

Canku laughed quietly. "Certainly."

The wolves' turned back to the intent army who was waiting the verdict of the impromptu conference. Canku took a deep breath of air.

"When you disobey orders, your punishment is death. When you go against authority, your life is forfeit. If you fail to meet our expectations, I hope you don't mind your corpse being the food for the worms. If, however, you follow orders, you follow authority, and you meet our standards, you will be rewarded. In this case we found fault and success. For that, the lynx's punishment shall be having half of her face be burned instead of death. She may not wear a mask until a full year has passed or until I say she may. On the exact same note, because of her sharp tongue and her exemplary records – besides today – I have allowed her to advance in my army. What do you say...?"

The lynx swallowed. Death or something close to it. But, if she chose the punishment, though she would be disfigured, she would be allowed to continue to serve – and live. She took a deep breath and started to nod. Apprehensively at first, but then her confidence grew in her decision. She was willing.

"I will serve you," she said.

Canku and Xisong grinned. This was still a win-win situation. Fear inflicted, respect shown, and, to quench their sadistic nature, someone to torture for a while. A fire was drawn in the opening, yet the lynx had her back turned to it, so she didn't see it. Her back was stiff as Canku touched her shoulder and started to push her back gently.

"I think you have made a good choice," he said quietly. "You will serve me well and remind Kar of the place he really is in. The snow leopard can get too big for his fur sometimes, wouldn't you agree?"

The lynx was slightly unnerved by Canku's conversational manner. Xisong had moved up silently beside her. She turned her head to see the army. All eyes were on her. A few jaws were hanging open at the sudden change in verdict. The lynx started to turn but Xisong stayed her head and wagged a paw at her.

"You wouldn't want to ruin your surprise, would you?"

The lynx's mouth went dry. Maybe this wasn't the best decision – or was it? Her mind flashed back to Siwang's execution. Kar hadn't shown fear and look where he was. The same would be with her...she hoped. She steeled her nerves and looked Canku straight in his pale eyes. He returned the gaze remorselessly.

"Your psychological games won't work with me. But, I promise you, if you work on them, you will hold power over even the most trained warrior by destroying his or her mind. Take my word for it. Hell, you can even go as far as trust me. Oh, one last question, though. What's your name?"

The lynx could feel heat behind her as she replied. "Niyein."

"I hope this hurts, _Niyein_," spat Canku as he roughly spun Niyein around and shoved her face into the fire.

Immediately, the fire started to lick around her cheeks, singeing her fur. The heat then began to tickle her cheeks. She fought back the urge to scream out as she felt the burning sensation blossom on her cheek. Her arms thrashed wildly as Niyein struggled against the strength of Canku.

The wolf was relentless. He needed to make an example – in both ways – of this sentry; now Officer. Canku grinned with savage delight. He enjoyed the suffering of others, regardless of their rank. The only animals he truly cared about were his mate and, to some extent, his pups. Other than that, the rest were expendable. Some were more valuable than others, but he would let them fall if it didn't affect him or his family. Canku felt the claws of Niyein dig into his side – a reflex. He nodded to Xisong who then bound the lynx's paws. Canku looked out at the army. They were still silent as a tomb. A soldier might shuffle uncomfortably here and there, but other than that, they were in horrified shock. At least they seemed to be. Many of them had already witness the various methods used by the wolves. But he was sure they were still slightly mortified.

Niyein felt her skin start to bubble and finally, she let loose an ear-piercing scream. Many flinched involuntarily. The scream even echoed around the Valley. Some soldiers hidden in the village looked at each other, their eyes wide. Shang and Tai heard it as well. Whatever was happening over there, they didn't want to know.

The lynx's scream faded to a pained whimper as her skin turned from a smooth and soft surface to a uneven and mottled mess of flesh. Finally, Canku ripped back her head from the fire and commanded the panther torturer to douse the fire. The lynx was shoved to the floor, rocking back and forth, clutching her tormented skin. Her voice was a whisper as she pleaded for water. Just something to cool down her skin!

"No water," said Xisong. "A mirror."

A mirror was brought by Kar to Xisong. The army was slightly confused by the command. Those in the back squinted their eyes to see the object in their leader's paw. Xisong bent down to Niyein.

"Look up."

The lynx looked up. A tear ran down her face. "Yes?"

"Move away your paws from your face and gaze at the mirror. What do you see?"

Niyein did so slowly, afraid of what she would see. The fresh air stung the burnt skin, yet she gritted her teeth to do as her leaders said. What she saw caused her to almost cry. Her face, once beautiful, was now disfigured on one side. She wasn't pretty anymore. On the burnt side, her left she now realized, her bright eye was surrounded by dead skin. No fur was present on the charred side. One word described it and she shuddered at it: ugly.

"A punishment fit for an sentry. Yet you have shown us that you are strong enough."

Niyein nodded and Xisong got up and smashed the mirror. The female wolf offered a paw to Niyein. "Get up." The lynx nodded and took the proffered paw. "Welcome to the ranks, Officer Niyein."

Niyein nodded gratefully, but the motion pained her. She felt angry and proud at the same time. Angry at what the wolves have inflicted on her, yet proud that she had pleased them and was now an Officer. They were conflicting emotions and they showed clearly to Canku and Xisong.

"Take heart, lynx," said Canku, a bit harsher than he intended. "You will now have the luxuries as any Officer, minus medical attention to your face until the year has passed. And I'll tell you what. You show me that I haven't made a mistake in just killing you, and I'll let you get a mask early."

"I give my thanks to you, Lord Canku and Lady Xisong."

"As you should," replied Canku. "Dismissed Niyein. Oh, and Niyein, I'd suggest getting to know Kar. You two are going to be working together often. After all, you were together last night." Canku winked at her and laughed an unpleasant laugh. The army laughed nervously with him, unsure of what to do. Xisong whirled on the army.

"You are all dismissed!" she called out.

The army filed away as Canku and Xisong walked back to their pavilion. What they didn't see were the pair of eyes watching them from the tent beside them. Xiaoa was troubled by what she had just seen. Why had her parents hurt that pretty lynx? What had she done wrong? A confused wolf pup went back to think, thoughts swirling in her mind.

* * *

><p>It was late at night and Niyein stumbled back to her tent. When no one was looking, she had snuck out and, remembering what her mother had taught her, treated the burn. Already she felt much better, though it still stung. Just touching it sent fiery needles of pain lancing through her face. Already she planned on making the mask early. She would need to make one that didn't show her newly received deformities yet still had some kind of flare that fit her. Niyein planned on getting that early relief of her punishment, so she had to work extra diligently in the future. That meant fighting hard in the upcoming battle. Though, how she had no idea. After all, this was supposed to be a simple go in and wipe out all those who resist them. According to various rumors, Zeng was having his assassins lead the Furious Five on a wild <em>goose<em>-chase – of course, the pun was intended – and then they would catch them when they least expected it. She chuckled slightly. She had to hand it to the wolves. They certainly had a lot going for them, but trusting Zeng wasn't their best move. Zeng just seemed the oily type. How he had been able to fool the Furious Five and then the Dragon Warrior, she had no idea. Niyein wondered when they were going to attack. It had already been a day, yet no orders had been passed through. It was slightly disturbing, the wolves were patient, yes, but on an opportunity like this, they usually jumped into Hera;lkdj

She reached her tent to see Kar waiting outside of it. Or, where it had been. He was leaning against a pole that had the wolves' standard on it. It hung limply in the windless night. She eyed the snow leopard with disgust. He was the one that had gotten into this mess in the first place...but he had also gotten her the promotion. Again, conflicting emotions. That wasn't good.

"What do you want?" she spat.

The snow leopard eyed the lynx from head to footpaw and back up again with a bored expression. He wasn't afraid of her at all, just peeved at her making him look like a fool in front of the entire army. What she had said ruined his image. No longer was he the silent, cold right-paw of Canku and Xisong, but the lover of a lynx. What he didn't like was that sharp tongue had let her get a promotion. But Kar thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't in the same position Siwang had been in. Kar got up slowly and started to circle Niyein. Her body tensed.

"You think you can make a fool of me?"

"I didn't think. I did."

"Very funny."

"I know."

Kar's face twitched in annoyance. He was going to have to learn to get used to this new Officer. This was an unexpected twist in his career under the wolves. Working with those who irked him, an interesting challenge. One that the wolves probably thought funny. Niyein smiled at Kar. Her burned face twisted the smile into something rather evil looking. Kar looked away. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the burnt half made his stomach queasy. Pushing the thought away and just focusing on Niyein's untouched half, he motioned to the flag.

"I'm sure you know what this is."

"Do you take me for an idiot?"

"No comment; this is the standard of the wolves. As a new Officer, your tent is replaced with this flag. From now on you will camp in the Officers tent."

"Why don't we get our own tents?"

"I don't make the rules. The Lord Canku and Lady Xisong surely have reasons of their own. It is our job to follow them. If its any consolation, there are curtains to cut off your own little section. Being the newest Officer, you are going to be situated at the very front."

Without an answer from the lynx, Kar walked off. Niyein shrugged and followed him. All across the camp, wherever she was, soldiers would stop and stare at her face. At first she was embarrassed by it. Then, as the attention began to grow on her, she almost willingly let others gawk at the horrible inflictions. It was nice to have the spotlight on her. When she noticed the sneers that were directed to Kar, she smiled as well. Kar noticed them too and his hackles rose. This was exactly what he was dreading. The rumors that sprouted up here in the camp grew like bamboo. Too fast with not enough time to trim them down to size. He growled at one of the more loud soldiers who only made a rude gesture in return. Kar abruptly stopped, backpedalled, and then stood face to face with the soldier. The soldiers gaze wilted underneath the tall snow leopards cold stare. Niyein watched with curiosity. She now had a position of authority. Maybe she could learn some things from this snow leopard.

"Do that again," hissed Kar. Right now, he was dropping his calm and collected facade and replacing it with one of vengeance. It fit the situation.

The soldier just smiled and did it again. Kar grabbed hold of the paw. The soldier's smile vanished immediately.

"Do you think I should be as kind as Canku and Xisong? Or should I just kill you now?"

"B't, uh, boss. The wolves ain't kind."

"Exectly."

The soldier gulped. "F'rgive m' please!"

"Okay. But let _this_ be a reminder to you," spat Kar. As he said his sentence, he pulled out his dagger and cut off the protruding finger. The hapless soldier dropped to the floor, rolling on the ground, clutching his paw with a steady stream of curses pouring forth from his mouth. Kar held the severed claw in his paws and examined it.

"Not a clean cut. I'll have to sharpen this," he said nonchalantly, turning his attention to the dull knife. He threw the soldiers appendage in his face. "Let that be a warning and a lesson."

Kar blocked out the faces that stared at him as he walked off. Niyein stared wide eyed at the careless act of violence. She caught up with him.

"_You_ can do _that_? Just like that?"

Kar eyed her coldly. "I would've done it with you if I could. Regrettably, you are now an Officer. It's a unforgivable crime. Canku and Xisong wouldn't pardon me even if I begged on my knees and gave them my tail. I'd be dead within the hour. They take their hierarchy seriously."

"Oh."

Kar said nothing and turned down toward the back of the camp where Canku and Xisong's pavilion had been set up. It had been set up to be elevated over the entire army to remind them that they were the rulers and to let them survey the land and their troops. Niyein spotted the wolves' on their chairs and a nudge from Kar brought her to attention. He motioned her to bow respectfully and the wolves acknowledged them.

"Do we have to do that?" whispered Niyein to Kar.

The snow leopard rolled his eyes. "Of course, you damn fool! And get used to it. They demand respect like that. Fear and respect – rules that Canku abides by. Oh, and you might get a few soldiers bowing to you as well."

"You're serious?" No one had ever bowed in respect to Niyein.

"Very."

The lynx sucked in a breath. Maybe this was going to be the highlight of her life. An Officer in an army that had conquered the City of Allies and was now going to defeat the Valley of Peace. Then, all of China. Forget her burnt face when the entire land of China was going to be accessible to her – granted, under Canku and Xisong.

_Wonder what they will do when they _do _conquer China?_ Niyein thought. She shook her head and smiled. _Complete power is all they ask for. Nothing much, really_. The lynx chuckled at her own little joke.

A tent, not very grand though large, stood next to the tent for the warlords pups. It was the black uniform with a red stripes that represented Officers in the Army in Black. It was the largest tent, larger than even Canku and Xisong's own personal tent. But it did accompany many other animals besides one or two – or six if you included the pups tent.

"Welcome to the Officers' tent. You can take the closest to the entrance. It's the only one that's open," stated Kar flatly. He didn't want to display any grandeur to the Officers' tent. Actions like that could convey the wrong meanings to others; right now, he needed to be on his toes to make sure he didn't say anything that animals might take wrongly – thanks to Niyein and her comments. "You'll find your stuff already in the section."

The snow leopard pushed the tent open slightly and, crouching slightly to get through the short entrance, entered the tent letting the flap snap back to its original position. Niyein hadn't seen that, as she was to busy daydreaming, and ran into the tent. She bit her teeth down in pain. It had struck right along the burned side of her face. She growled out curses upon her burden and Kar. Regaining her composure, she reopened the flap and stepped inside.

Inside, she was met with the sight of Officers doing their normal duties and getting ready for the massive fight the wolves' had said would start in a about two days. For now, they wanted to inflict fear upon the citizens. Not attacking unnerved the opposing forces sometimes. It seemed to be working for this Valley of Peace. No signs of activity had been spotted. Though there rumors of movement near the Jade Palace but they had been widely ignored. Niyein placed her paws on her hips when she saw that her stuff had been just thrown callously onto the bedroll. Huffing in disgust, she got herself busy rearranging the mess of her stuff.

"Lovely treatment for an Officer," she sniffed.

"What was that?" asked the gazelle next to her.

"Nothing," came the reply.

"A'right."

Niyein muttered to herself all while going through her supplies. Thankfully, she had thought ahead to keep her medical supplies hidden in the surgeon's tent – a friend of hers – so they wouldn't be confiscated. Finally! Her section was how she liked it. Everything now had a place, as meager as her possessions were. She settled down on the bedroll, basking privately in her newfound position.

* * *

><p>A strange, yet familiar scent coming from behind them made both Xisong and Canku leap to their feet. They motioned for two other guards to follow them. The wolves themselves were armed with their own peculiar swords. A faint wheezing could be heard as well. Whoever they were, they were terrible at spying or scouting. Canku motioned and the guards bounded forward, driving their spears down in the direction that the noise and smell came from.<p>

"Ow ow ow ow ow! Why did you have to go an stab my damn paw, you idiot!" came a female voice. "Don't you numbskulls recognize us?"

The sound of a fistfight breaking out followed. Canku and Xisong stepped forward to intervene.

"Stop!" The pure gravity in Canku's voice caused the guards and the hidden assailants to freeze. "Who are you and it better be good otherwise we will gut you like a fish."

"I am Kwan. The girl here who got stabbed in the paw by this bozo is named Wu and the nervous wreck here of a rabbit is Hsuh."

Those names rang a bell for Xisong. "Are you under Zeng's command?"

"Yes! Judging by your tones of voices, I'd say you are Lord Canku and Lady Xisong?" inquired the female voice. Wu.

Canku absentmindedly nodded, forgetting that they couldn't see them. "C'mon, get in front of us. We haven't got all day. That and the Furious Five should be right behind you, correct?"

"Riiiiiight. Yeah, um, milord, we have some slightly bad news for you."

Canku bristled. Bad news was something he didn't need right now so close to his second goal. "Get out of there!" he snapped.

The three assassins and the guards came tumbling out into the wolves' view. Xisong rolled her eyes in disgust at the complete disarray of her 'elite' assassins. Whatever happened, it would probably make both of them mad. Wu got up and straightened herself. Kwan, the crocodile untangled himself from one of the guards and stood at attention as well. The rabbit, very shakily, saluted the wolves from where he finally got up. One of his massive footpaws pounded the ground mercilessly.

"What is this, '_slightly bad news_' that you are going to tell us," asked Xisong innocently. No need to frighten soldiers completely out of their minds so that way they twisted up the facts.

Wu started to speak. Hopefully she would be able to lighten up the full impact of what they were about to say, but Hsuh had other ideas.

"The Furious Five stopped following us. They went off our trail. We think they went back to the Jade Palace."

Canku's grey fur turned a shade red. Xisong forced herself to keep cool, but even she felt her blood boiling. These incompetent _fools_! How they had managed to do that, she couldn't even contemplate. Then again, if Zeng and his crew had followed their plan perfectly, this wouldn't have happened. Now only enraged kung fu Masters lay in wait at the Jade Palace. No doubt they would be out for vengeance. She thought furiously. What if they bartered with them? The one who killed their beloved Shifu for a bloodless, unconditional surrender? Surely they would agree to that? Not one of their precious civilians would die for a hopeless cause. Xisong leaned over and whispered her plan into her mates ears. Canku's expression went from pure rage, to thoughtfulness, and then to a mischievous smile. The wolf smiled like a young one receiving a much longed for present. He rubbed his paws together.

"You, yes you, get Kar. Have him meet us in the war tent. If he whines, you have my permission to poke him a few times with that spear. Go. Now you three, follow me. And you..." Canku stood there, looking at the guard. The guard held his spear tighter. "Go back to your duty. If you'll follow me, my lovely mate." Canku offered Xisong a paw and he whisked her away to the war tent.

Kar rubbed his sleepy eyes as he half stood half slouched in the war tent. He still had his night clothes on, despite the order that every animal was to sleep in his or her armor with their weapons readied. He stared at the maps and contemplated on what was going to happen. It wasn't exactly the most preferable time to do this – he had just fallen asleep too.

"Kar?" came the voice of Xisong.

"Yesh, m'lady," he mumbled.

"Kar!"

Kar snapped to attention. "Yes, milady!"

"Much better," said Xisong. She walked behind Kar and took a hold of the knife that was sitting at the rack behind the snow leopard. Kar's eyes shifted and he tensed his body in case Xisong was going to try anything. He would follow these wolves a lot of places. But to death wasn't exactly a preferable place. Then he noticed Zeng. His wings were pinned down and Canku loomed behind the unfortunate bird. Kar grinned toothily.

"Finally grounded, bird?" he taunted.

Zeng opened his beak to retort, but it was cut short by Canku's paw striking him across the back of the head.

"You're not an Officer anymore, _Zeng_. I wouldn't suggest you reply like one. Remember, I'm being merciful right now. You don't want to have my anger really burst forth, do you?"

Zeng shook his head back and forth vigorously. He didn't want what ever would happen to him if he did speak to happen. Instead, he just gulped. He looked at Kar, the snow leopard smiling triumphantly back at the bird. The scene of Tai Lung holding him by his neck and caressing his head in a perverse manner was brought to the forefront of his mind. Snow leopards were always getting in his way!

Xisong slammed the knife into the spot that represented the Valley of Peace. She still didn't speak. Canku watched his mate. He knew what she was up to. Zeng and Kar didn't. He would let her do her talking. After all, this was her plan. He was too keep on eye on Zeng. Xisong got up on the table and sat on it. The female wolf looked at Zeng.

"Where are the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior?" asked Xisong. "I don't see them anywhere." She made the pantomime as if she was searching for them.

"I promise that I will get them for you, milady. My assassins just need to arrive here and the traps will have been sprung. Then, Lady Xisong, you and Lord Canku will get the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior."

"How about you ask them yourself?"

"What?" Zeng's eyes shifted back and forth wildly. What was she talking about? His assassins were still on duty, leading the Furious Five and Dragon Warrior into their own traps! His face contorted into pure hatred when he saw Kwan, Wu, and Hsuh walk in dejectedly – though they were not bound like he was.

"What is the meaning of this?" he spluttered. "You have failed me!"

They said nothing; in fact, the only thing they did was look at the ground and shuffle their feet.

"The same could be said for you too, bird," growled Canku. "You promised us the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior as well as Master Shifu's death."

"And I _killed_ Master Shifu! Those buffoons didn't capture the Five or the panda!"

"True," replied Xisong thoughtfully. Zeng brightened up a bit. "But you're the one who promised us them, not these three. They failed you and you failed us. And when you fail us, you get punished. Now, you _did_ succeed in killing Shifu, so we will take that into consideration. But..." Xisong motioned for Canku to finish were she left off.

"You still have failed us. So, we will offer you as a token to the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior. If we give them the traitor who killed their master, they will let us take over the Valley without any bloodshed. I think they'll gladly take you." Canku finished the statement by running one of his razor sharp claws underneath Zeng's chin. A thin line of blood appeared; it stained Canku's claw yet the wolf didn't care. "What do you think, Kar?"

The snow leopard was fully awake now – and he loved the idea. One more gone from attacking his position. Quan and – maybe – Niyein were all that were left. An idea struck Kar like a thunderbolt.

"Your plan is good, Lady Xisong. But I have one suggestion."

"What might that be?" asked Xisong with genuine curiosity. Kar had proven himself valuable, so she was inclined to listen to council from him.

"We can use the portion of time when you are busy bartering with the Five to send in a spy. I'm thinking maybe a robin. Something that won't attract too much attention."

"Yes. We might be able to gather information," mused Canku. "Knowledge is a powerful thing."

Xisong nodded as well. She was impressed by the thought. Truly they had picked the perfect right paw for them – good riddance of the late Siwang. "Send for the robin and we'll start right this night. Catch them off guard."

* * *

><p>A long, blown out bugle finally awakened the Five it seemed. Canku and Xisong stood impatiently with Zeng bound wing and foot at the bridge that led to the village. They dared not step in the village. Reports from the robin already conveyed from her flyby that there were tiny slivers of tripwire. They would have to warn the vanguard during the first charge – the one that would wipe them all out most likely. The figures of a tiger, a snake, and a monkey came into view. Zeng seethed with anger. If only they hadn't gone back to the Valley, they would be in his grasp and he wouldn't be going to die a horrible death most likely. As soon as Tigress saw Zeng, her paws clenched into fists. Viper hissed and Monkey's brow furrowed. Canku and Xisong smiled. This was good.<p>

"Hello," greeted Canku, extending a paw as soon as the three came within reach. They declined his paw so he removed it, feeling slightly foolish. He shook the feeling away and bowed in respect instead; all part of his polite, civilized facade. "I assume you are the famous Master Tigress, Master Viper, and Master Monkey. I am Canku and this is my mate Xisong. Now, instead of going through all the unnecessary pleasantries, I prefer to cut straight to business." Canku paused, waiting for a reply. It didn't come. He shrugged mentally and continued. "We heard about the assassination of Shi – uh, _Master_ Shifu. Heard it was by a bird, a goose. Might _this_ be the one?"

Canku held up Zeng by the neck. Zeng's tiny legs waddled quickly. The goose's mind flashed back to Tai Lung – he had done the exact same thing then. Xisong continued where Canku left off. The female wolf also noticed the change in the three kung fu masters posture. They were tensed a bit more and their eyes flashed with rage – at least the tiger's did. Now how would they react to their ultimatum? Xisong cleared her throat to cause there attention to shift to her.

"You can have the goose – under one condition," said Xisong; her paws moved nervously.

"What?" asked the tiger flatly. Her voice, hard and emotionless, surprised the wolves slightly. The rumors were true. The tiger master was as 'hardcore' as gossip had caused all of China to believe.

"Total and unconditional surrender," said Canku smugly. "If you refuse, we will still take this land through force, with bloodshed. If you do accept it, you get to punish the prisoner in anyway it pleases you, no blood is shed – besides his – and you get to live peacefully below our rule."

The kung fu masters didn't even have to go into a council to discuss the issue. As much as Tigress would love to lay her paws on Zeng, they _must_ refuse, or else they would have failed China and her people.

"No," said Tigress simply.

Canku's grip on Zeng's neck tightened. A gurgle escaped Zeng's beak. He was desperate for oxygen right now. A bird came down from the air above and landed on Canku's shoulder. It was a robin. The bird whispered into Canku's upright ear. Immediately Canku's anger broke loose. The robin struggled to get out of the maddened wolf's way. Zeng gulped his last. Whatever the robin had said, he knew it meant his death most likely. In a sense, the robin had sentenced Quan to his death, but at that moment, Canku needed to kill something. He settled on Zeng. Snapping the unfortunate birds thin neck, he tossed the carcass aside remorselessly. He stood there, huffing and puffing; the wolf's chest heaved up and down. Xisong's complexion was slightly less emotional, yet, buried beneath her carefully constructed expression, rage burned within. Yet _again_ had they been failed by their Officers. It was a good thing they had promoted Niyein, because they were soon going to be needing a new Officer to fill in Quan's place. He had deliberately _lied_ to them and he was going to pay with his life.

Tigress smirked at them, a triumphant smile plastered on her normally stoic face. "I'll see you in the morning. Maybe we can barter for something else next time? I don't know, maybe paintings? We've got a couple that I'm sure you'd love." She chuckled as she saw the effect of her taunts on the wolves. As cool and calculating as the wolves were, they were still prone to extreme anger.

Canku pointed a quivering claw at the tiger. It wavered in the air, shaking with rage. "Your blood with be the paint for the next piece of art I will hang in my tent!" he whispered. The grisly words seemed to please him. "It will be my most prized piece yet." To Canku, collecting trophies from your fallen enemies started to interest him. Like the blanket made from Timoteo's hide or a couple of skulls he had picked up along the way from forgotten battlefields. A bloody image to decorate his wall. "I hope your screams are heard into next year."

"As I'm sure yours will," responded Tigress.

Before things got out of hand – Canku didn't truly relish going against three trained and hardened kung fu Masters – he spun on his heels and made haste toward the camp. He didn't even hear the footsteps of the masters leaving because of his pure, unadulterated rage. Right now he had an army to prepare for an attack...and another bird to kill.

* * *

><p>Kun sat staring at the black canvas. The cages that had surrounded them had been cast away in preference for speed. Aleksey was still confined to his own side by a shortened chain yet Kun and Sun were allowed together – mainly because of the bond that bound them together through their paws. Sun had been able to get into a position that allowed her head to lean gently on Kun's sore shoulder. He didn't know how Sun was able to sleep on a night like this. The former leader of Mengyou City could hear the army stir and shift. The army seemed to groan as it readied itself for war. <em>Why battle at the Valley of Peace?<em> What horrific deeds would be performed tomorrow? Kun could only imagine. Often, when he was fortunate – or unfortunate in a sense – to catch a glimpse of the outside world, it rocked him to his core. Images of the animals, walking dead really, march past his tent. Prisoners of war; animals the wolves' had decided to show 'mercy' to. One time he had seen a child yanked out of its mothers arms and out of pure spitefulness, they had torn apart the child. The screams of the grief stricken mother would haunt him for however long he would live. Just recently he had been able to make out the screams of an unfortunate beast – and then heard the rumors of the female lynx, the one with the half burned face, was now an Officer. Whatever drove the wolves to do such acts, whether 'good' or bad, was beyond him. Sun might think that there was good in every animal, well, after all of this, he doubted even his own wife's words. It seemed nothing was beyond the wolves capability for cruelty. There was no mercy shown, no quarter given. Blood truly did flow like water when battle was in the air. Kun sighed and looked down at his thin paws. They had been strong and powerful, now they were weak and dwindling reminders of what he used to have. Sun shifted her position. He reached up with his free paw and stroked her head affectionately. _She_ was all he had left. It would take the work of a miracle to release him of his bonds. He looked to his side; Aleksey was still mute, probably sleeping. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Some sleep would be good.

The _feeling_ of someone near him brought Kun to his senses.

"Tai?" he whispered yet felt foolish. His son, his only son, was dead. Killed by the wolves' aviators.

"Not Tai. Xiaoa!" exclaimed a squeaky voice. "Hello big tiger!"

Kun almost recoiled as he saw the little wolf pup sitting right in front of him. The male tiger composed himself, forcing a deep breath, and looked at the pup called Xiaoa. He had heard of this little pup – Sun had spoken of her once or twice. He didn't know how to react to this...this animal. Part of him told himself that this was a completely different animal, one that was still innocent – as far as he knew. But another, darker part of him reminded him that it was her parents that had ended all of his joys in life. His son, his city, and, probably, his wife.

"What do you want, little pup?" he allowed himself to say.

The little wolf did something that shocked him. The wolf pup reached behind her back and pulled out a flower. It was violet. Though it had been crinkled by the tiny paws gripping it, the violet still held its simple beauty. Kun started to stutter, yet Xiaoa held her paws up to her snout.

"_Shhhh_," she admonished him. "No wake Sunny." Kun grinned slightly at the impromptu nickname for his wife. "For her. You."

"What?"

Xiaoa sighed heavily and looked at Kun then pointed at Sun. She gave him the flower and _strict_ instructions. "Flower to Sun."

"Oh. Well, why don't you give it to her?"

"From you! Present!" said Xiaoa, a smile grew on her face. The little wolf didn't see the two, bedraggled and whipped tigers. Instead, she saw friends who would talk with her. To her, Sun was the most beautiful creature on the planet – besides her mother. And Kun was the strongest, most kind animal she had met – her father and Kar were stronger, yes, but not as nice.

Kun brought the flower to his nose and inhaled deeply. A tear, like a diamond, squeezed itself from one of his dulled eyes. The glittering tear in stark contrast to the cold, sad eyes of the tiger. It fell down from his cheek and landed gently onto the flower.

"Why cry?" inquired Xiaoa. She had just given him a flower! Why was he sad?

"Nothing," he said quickly, jerking his face away from Xiaoa.

The little wolf wouldn't accept that answer. "Why you sad? Flower hurt you?"

Kun laughed mirthlessly. The sound frightened Xiaoa, but still she stayed. "Yes. In fact it does. You are reminding me of Tai when he was young. Inquisitive and smart, yet kind and thoughtful. He did have his mischievous moments, but I don't remember a lot of it because I was busy with my work. I miss him."

Xiaoa's face contorted greatly. She was trying to figure out something. Connections started to form in her mind. Even for being young as she was, she was good had making connections and reading other animals – something Xisong claimed Xiaoa got from her. Finally, it made sense. All of these hints that Sun had made, the completely unexplainable tears from Kun – before his explanation, and her parents talk, lead to one that that had affected these two tigers: their son, the one they called Tai, had been killed by her parents.

"Why my parents," Xiaoa struggled to find an appropriate word, "get rid of you son?"

Kun didn't answer. He looked away, silent tears running down from his eyes. Nothing could replace Tai – nothing.

Xiaoa did something next that, to say nothing else, surprised both of them. She hugged him. It wasn't an intimate hug, like one would give to a lover. Or a friendly hug, one that you would give to a friend (of course). No, it was the hug of a child. A hug that conveyed all of their love and appreciation for the certain individual with those tiny arms trying to squeeze you as tight as they could. Kun sat there, motionless as the grey pup tried to wrap her paws around his large torso. Without thinking, he embraced her back, the embrace of a father.

The thought of Tai struck Kun like a lighting bolt. In the image, it was him and Tai playing chess that first time in the garden. And later that week, reading him his first book. Now it moved toward his last memory of him, happy with Shang and Mei. The memories faded into a black mist. There, surrounded by the mist, was the image – frighteningly vivid – of Tai. He had a large smile. Kun felt something. The vision was _too_ real to be just a flashback. It meant something. He almost physically got up to run after the apparition, yet it faded away, the smile turning into an anguished cry and an outstretched paw reaching for him.

Kun's choked sob woke Sun. She stared at the pup hugging her husband and she was truly worried when she saw Kun's tear streaked face.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "I don't know."


	27. Shedding Salty Tears

A/N: Alright, so we have our battle scene! 'Finally!' I can hear you guys saying. Well, yes. Took me a while. Hope you enjoy it (like I say with almost every chapter author's note). Enjoy yet again!

* * *

><p>Tai's eyelids were drooped down to cover half of his eyes. He really didn't feel like getting up that morning. All today spoke was death and destruction and he didn't want that, not for anything in the world. Getting up, he noticed that Shang was already up, yet he hadn't noticed Tai. The Golden cat was staring intently at Mei. His lips moved in silent words. Tai let him do whatever he was doing. Chances are, it was very important to his friend. Tai started to dress, yet he accidently bumped into the short table. Shang turned his head to face the tiger that was now hopping up and down, rubbing his shin.<p>

"You okay?" he asked, a wry grin taking the place of the frown.

"No," breathed Tai. "I'll be fine though, thank you for asking."

"No problem," said Shang as he got up from his position. "Why are you dressing in _that_? You do remember that we are going to battle today, whether you like it or not. Tigress made that very clear. The wolves are attacking."

Tai sighed. "Then what should I wear?"

"This." As Shang spoke, he walked over to a chest. Normally, nothing had been placed in it, yet Shang pulled out armor almost identical to his own. "For you."

"How'd you get this?" asked Tai, his jaw agape.

"Commander Zhou. I had some help from Mei refitting it for you. The dimensions were a bit tricky to get from you, but we got them." Shang winked and shook Mei to get her awake. The clouded leopard stretched luxuriously, her lustrous eyes snapping open. Getting up from the only bed in the room, she made her way to the bamboo screen they had moved into the room, allowing them to change in the room with privacy – something that Tai prized. Mei's night clothes were flung from behind the screen and landed arbitrarily on the floor. As Tai was helped into his new gear, complete with his old longbow, Mei dressed in her own gear – all in a brilliant white color scheme. Her armor fitted snuggly, allowing her to still move with her amazing agility. It had fingerless gloves, to let her paws still feel what was around her and the breastplate was sturdy yet would flow with her. The leggings were tight and provided padding. The armor wasn't something she wore regularly – having been lent it by the Li-Chow Patrol – but it would work for the upcoming conflict.

Shang still wore his normal Guard armor. It had almost never left his body during their travels. All the way from Mengyou City to the Valley of Peace had the armor been in place; the armor had become sort of a symbol for Shang and the Golden cat liked it.

Breakfast was eaten in silence among everybody. The soldiers hidden in the houses had it worse, being forced to eat a cold meal in cramped conditions. When their meal was finished, they stepped out of the Jade Palace and stood at the stairs. All eyes were transfixed on the awakening Army in Black.

Tai fidgeted. He would admit to anyone who asked, he _was_ nervous. All of his training with Kamon, everything about peace and the calming of the consciousness, ran through Tai's mind. It was important that he keep the rage, the Gu-Yi, under control. As advantageous as it would be on the battlefield, he would never do that voluntarily. He abhorred Gu-Yi and loathed that it was part of him by nature. He looked at the red inked tattoo on his paw. Another detested reminder, though at least this gave him comfort. It spoke that the Heavens really did care and that he wasn't alone with this burden. That thought made him feel a bit better. He looked to his right. There was Shang, Mei, Po, and Monkey. All of them stood at the ready, though they were – visibly at least – relaxed. He tuned to his left. Right next to him stood Master Tigress and then, after that, Viper, Mantis, Crane, and Commander Zhou.

"How do you do it?" he asked Tigress quietly, not wanting to bring attention to himself. "How are you so calm and relaxed? You know in your mind that you are about to cause pain and, most likely, end the lives of others! How are you prepared for it?"

Tigress said nothing then, turning so that she and Tai were face-to-face, she whispered back. "I'm not. Never will be. I doubt there are many animals out there, besides the sadistic few, that relish and are calm in the fact that they have to end lives. But, for me, it really is motivation and what I have promised that drives me. I cannot let those around me down. I have vowed to keep the Valley of Peace safe and so I will. I am motivated to do so. Does that answer your question?"

"Sort of..." said Tai weakly. He didn't have motivation for something like this and he couldn't think of any promises he had to fulfill...yes he did! He would get his parents back! The thought gave him courage. Imagine their elation when they say him alive and well! It would be a moment to remember. "Thank you," he said with genuine gratitude.

"You're welcome."

Po tapped on Tai's shoulder. The tiger shifted his attention to the portly panda. "Yes, Po?"

"What do you think of this?" replied Po, showing off the knife he had placed in a sheath.

"Why do you need a knife? And what kind of knife is that?" inquired Tai. "I thought you were a kung fu Master, the Dragon Warrior?"

"I am," said Po. "This is just for show. Doesn't hurt, does it? And what if I run into a situation where I really need it?"

"I doubt that," commented Monkey, overhearing the conversation. "The only time you will need that is if you are going to pick your teeth."

Po made a face at Monkey and turned back to Tai. "Seriously, what do you think? Is it cool or not?"

"Its a matter of opinion Po. If you want to keep it, by all means do. If you don't, then that's fine."

"Awesome."

"You could say that."

Then, the dreaded moment happened. The loud, thunderous war drums from the enemy camp sounded forth and the army of the wolves' got into formation and marched forward. The disciplined army moved inexorably forward, every step they took, it was one step closer to the village. The army split into three and the center third moved toward the main entrance. As it narrowed and crossed over the bridge, Tai held his breath, waiting for the regiment spring the first traps. Instead, the enemy stopped just short of the tripwires and spread out and brought forth shields. Holding them up, they waited for the column behind them to send out spears that glistened in the sunlight. They stood there silently waiting for another order. Tai and Shang watched with grudging admiration as the other two regiments moved down the far sides of the village and then turn in. Because the village wasn't the biggest around, the regiments didn't send in all of the troops – they simply couldn't. Then, the more agile, elite soldiers leapt up to the top of the short roofs. Tai cringed, all of their surprise planning had been undone. It seemed they were going into battle with nothing up there sleeves. Beside him, Shang cursed and swore for at least a minute as the first screams arose from the village when the elite met the rooftop archers and their barbed arrows. The same happened to the other side regiment. Commander Zhou took the next move without consulting, though no one cared, they were happy he did! Raising his bugle to his lips, a long, drawn out blast echoed around the Valley. The first regiment stood up with their shields and started moving forward from a shout of the commander. A grave mistake. Immediately the first tripwire was snapped and bolts from crossbows flew out of the bushes, burying themselves in the enemy soldiers unprotected foot paws. The howls of pain cut through the air, only to mingle with the screams that still rose from the rooftops. As the call from Zhou ended, the archers from the rooftops that hadn't been mounted stood up and fired arrow after arrow into the midst of the enemy. Tai cringed visibly and often looked away at the bloody mess that began to unfold. Suddenly, Po broke from the stairs.

"Po!" Tigress called out.

"They're going to get to my dad's shop! I can't let them!" Po yelled back as he rushed into the ensuing battle. All ready the wolves' army had a nasty surprise when they tried to enter the shops. The hidden Patrol soldiers slaughtered most who tried to take their position. The normal roar of battle started to rise up and it was getting hard to hear of it.

Tigress growled in frustration and bounded after the panda. _They weren't supposed to get involved _just _yet!_ Tai shifted in his position, unsure of what to do. Shang answered for him.

"Let's _go_!" cried the Golden cat.

With that, they rushed forward to face the twelve thousand troops – now less due to the garrisons left at conquered towns and the ones already lying still on the ground, blood still dripping out of the fresh corpses.

* * *

><p>Tai ran into battle, truly unsure about what to do. He had vowed not to kill and he wouldn't. Taking all that into consideration, he would do what Shang had suggested earlier that day – knock them out and they would deal with them later. It was the only way he could help and it was something he would do. His first true opponent met him, swinging a massive broadsword. Tai slapped the flat of the blade down with a mighty stroke of his paw. The steel clanged on the stone. A second enemy raised up behind Tai and he was forced to twist to the side. An arrow flew near his face and he also noticed a spear flung toward him. <em>This<em> was what is was like to be in a completely one-sided battle yet he knew they had to win! Tai dropped to the floor – a rather dumb move – and was nearly trampled by the great spiked boots of a towering rhino. Pushing up using his arms, he completed a splits that bashed two soldiers directly in the snouts, sending them backwards as well as creating a small domino effect. The unfortunate souls at the back were felled. As one landed, Tigress swiped downward with her mighty legs, snapping the fallen soldiers neck. This wasn't going to be an honorable fight – it was one to the death like most were. Tigress came to Tai's aid and hoisted him up while disemboweling a nearby ox. The intestines of the ox fell out and caused a nearby pig to slip. The ox, blood still flowing like water out of the mortal wound, crushed the pig with his sword in a death grip from his fading strength. Still fighting – with Tai doing his best to defend his 'secret' crush – Tigress yelled encouragement at Tai.

"We're doing well!" she said above the battle that raged around them.

"I guess," replied Tai, though she didn't hear him.

"Just keep doing what you're doing. It makes it easy for us to finish them off."

Tai cringed at that. _Finish them off_. The idea of that made his stomach queasy. Shaking off his nausea, he continued using whatever methods he could to defend Tigress. A spear was thrust at Tai's back. Tigress snapped the shaft in half and kicked the spearhead. The blade cut through two of the enemy, impaling them through the heart. They fell, transfixed. Tai nodded his thanks at Tigress when he noticed what she had done. He saw a line of arrows headed toward Tigress.

"Sorry!" he apologized as he grabbed hold of her legs.

"Wha-" began Tigress yet it was cut short as Tai pushed her into a splits. He flipped up, stabilizing himself by placing his paws on her shoulders, dodged between two arrows and landed on top of an opposing wolf.

"Grab my tail and get up!" he cried out.

Tigress didn't ask twice. And didn't she just tell him not to get _anyone_ on the ground? Or had she? She flung herself up, though grabbing the crooked tail was a bit of challenge because of the odd angle. She saw Tai lay down a quick barrage of punches at the wolf he had landed on top of as he land gracefully as it fell, unconscious. Surprisingly, the throng of fighting soldiers killed the prone figures most of the time. It was brutal, seeing the blacked-out soldiers getting smashed to a pulp by their own comrades and the Patrol.

* * *

><p>Shang and Mei fought together. They didn't want to be separated in this fray. At least if one of them went down, the other could avenge their death and fight like a demon straight from the Abyss. Mei danced around with her spear, impaling and easily finishing off enemies with finesse. Her armor had been bloodstained and she had cuts around her body, staining her usually pristine fur a crimson red. The blood on her fur was nothing compared to the gore that accompanied Shang. The Golden cat, using his advanced training from Kamon and his normal, conventional training from the Mengyou City Guard, was going almost berserk on the wolves' Army in Black. He probably felt it was his duty to try to take as many as he could due to the fact that he had failed Kun Zhu and Sun Nushi at their time of greatest need. His twin daggers flashed in the hot sun as he dug into the flesh of his enemies with them. He didn't need as much finesse, though he wasn't as tall as some of those he faced, he did have a bit wider frame and was bulkier. And he used that. He tried to imagine himself as a juggernaut, cutting a way for his beloved to make her way through. Yet his beloved really didn't need that much protection. Mei actually spent more time <em>above<em> the battle, bouncing from one pair of soldiers to another. Shang grinned at her. It was almost enchanting the way her tail swished in the air, making slight movements to correct her flight pattern. Her paws and foot paws both worked just has hard.

Shang felt the white-hot point of knife cut through his flesh, right at his arm. Roaring with pain he whirled on the attacker. The crocodile's throat was cut in three pieces before the reptile was able to do anything. Shang kicked out, catching a soldier in the crotch. The soldiers just smirked and went at him anyways.

"Damn girls," he was able to grit out as he turned on the female. It troubled him slightly that he had to kill those of the opposite sex. It shouldn't but it did. They were the enemy and they would kill him just as quickly as he would. Shang had to block his own crotch as the female soldier tried to do the same trick. A sword blade suddenly sprouted from her chest. Out from behind the fallen female was a Patrol member.

"I know what you mean!" said the soldier hoarsely and joined back into the fray. Shang was heartened by the appearance of the Li-Chow soldier. It meant the Patrol hadn't been entirely wiped out.

_Damn!_ He swore again. That was why he wasn't seeing many Li-Chow, they were probably trying their hardest to get out of the houses! When they had been planning the surprise, the idea had been good; now in the actually fight, it might be the final resting places of lots of good animals. Shang wouldn't let that happen.

"Mei!" he shouted.

No reply. His heart thudded. She usually came to his side. Shang parried at thrust and kicked out at the shins of the assailant. It was a goose. A swipe from his dirk cut the head clean off. The eyes stared at the ground, slick with blood. The body toppled over a second later, yet Shang didn't care. He needed to find Mei. A roar brought his attention over to a different section of the village. He cursed again and – using a technique Mei would have been proud of – used a large rhino to gain access to the rooftops. The rooftops were a slightly less dangerous place with the majority of the space under their control, yet their were still enemy archers with deadly aim. Just as he passed behind a fox archer, it fell, an arrow embedded in her shoulder. Shang forced himself to keep going. The fox would be okay as long as she kept her head down. Ignoring his own logic, he sped toward the sound of where the roar had come from. Jumping down from the rooftops, he landed precisely on the skull of a tiger. Shutting the image of Tai from his mind, he slit the tiger's throat with a deft swipe of his extended claws. It fell down and he bounded on top of the enemies shoulders. Using this as a viewpoint as well, he was able to notice more Li-Chow pouring from the buildings. Apparently, the Furious Five and Commander Zhou had figured that out and had helped many get into the fight to balance things out. What _didn't_ balance things out was the image of Mei lying, bloody, in a shop. Anger built inside of him. They had killed his love! He let loose a savage roar. It sounded like that of an injured beast – because injured beast he was!

"She's alive Shang!" rang out Tai's voice, from somewhere down below. There! Fighting by the doorway. "Thank the Heavens! For both our sake!"

_Both our sake_, thought Shang as he joined his friend in defending Mei's bleeding body.

"Keep them off. I'll see what I can do!" asked, no, commanded, Tai. "Not that I'm a medic," he muttered as well at the end.

The risk of checking on Mei was rather high. He had noticed that whenever one of his friends got hurt or someone close to him was killed, the Gu-Yi had a stronger foothold to climb its way to the top of his mind and overtake him from there. Practicing the peace methods Kamon taught him and casting a slightly longer glance at the Peace Mark on his paw, he set to work. Mei had been wounded in the side. He check the wound and thanked the Heavens once more. It would heal, but Mei wouldn't be in this fight any longer. Using everything he had been able to learn from the University, he was able to patch up the bloody cut. He cringed when he saw the blood begin to continue to soak through the bandages. Applying more pressure and some of the herbs he found randomly in Mei's armor – _Funny that she does that_, he thought, _and it just might save her life too_ – he gently picked her up and let her sit against the doorframe.

"I've got this!" said Shang, taking his mind off the fight to pay attention to Mei.

"I'll clear a path," Tai volunteered.

"Good, 'cause you're the only one who'll be able to do it! Rest are busy!" shouted Shang, trying to sound grateful, but it is hard to be grateful when you are shouting. "Go!"

And so Tai did clear a path. He channeled his peace and whatever slight fury he had into his task single-mindedly. Normally, he was used to multitasking; focusing on one thing and be thinking about another at the same time, but right now he wasn't. All of his mind's thought processes were in one direction: help Shang and Mei. The path he cut wasn't wide or even, but it worked. That was all that Shang wanted. They made their way to the steps of the Jade Palace, a place were the fight hadn't migrated to, and they climbed it. At the top of the stairs, they pushed open the doors to the Palace and lay Mei in a spot they thought would be difficult to find if they were able to breach the doors. Instead of using the entrance, they climbed over the walls and bounded down the stairs with ease.

"Tai! I have an idea," said Shang as they made their way down. "I think you'll like it."

Tai just blinked so Shang went on.

"Let's go save your parents and maybe we can cut off the head of this army. What do you say?"

"But then I'll have to kill..."

"I'll do that, you just defend me. Okay?"

"Yes. Should we tell the others?"

"They're busy. We can't. We just need to go."

Tai nodded and they left the battlefield in a hurry to the back of the army where the prisoners were being kept.

Shang and Tai were able to avoid a good portion of conflict besides a few stragglers at the back. Using Kamon's methods to silence their footsteps, they were able to get closer to the back. They could see birds taking off from Officers looking at maps and charts. Their messenger system. Tai pulled out a small knife he hadn't used at all. He had kept his bow back at the Jade Palace. Suddenly, he wished he had it now. Shang would have liked it as well, instead of a close attack, a two marksmen or one incredible marks_man_ could get both wolves. Sad as it was, they didn't let if faze them. Creeping closer, Tai put on paw on Shang's shoulder.

"Group of ten. Elite."

Shang nodded in thanks, but whispered back.

"You're going to have to kill right now."

"But-"

"No buts. Can you take down maybe five?"

"One."

"Four."

"One."

"Three?"

"Fine," Tai sighed. He took a deep breath. And then another one. One more for good measure. "I'll do this."

"Thanks. Don't worry, I know what to do. Besides, we'll be done before you can say, 'Oh Dragons preserve me.'"

"Oh Dragons-"

Shang smashed Tai's paw into the tiger's face.

"Shuttup."

The Golden cat started forward but again, Tai's paw went on his shoulder. Shang looked at the tiger exasperatingly.

"_What?_" he mouthed.

"They're headed to the prison tent. If you don't mind, can we get my parents first? You know, eliminate them and then get my parents to safety?"

Shang swallowed and pursed his lips. He didn't know. Taking out the wolves would be incredible and would end the war, but it might mean the death of Kun and Sun. Who knew what the wolves' orders were if they were killed? What would become of the prisoners? Were the Elite there to kill the captives if they were killed? Shang snorted, not likely. Canku and Xisong were _very_ sure of themselves in this battle – weren't they? He almost cursed himself as he agreed with Tai's plan.

"Fine, but we get them to a safe spot and then get the wolves!"

"Thank you."

"Lousy choice," breathed Shang as he changed course. He had no idea why he was doing this.

The Elite weren't really expecting anything. So when one of their comrades dropped, they were speechless. Perfect for Shang and Tai. The Golden cat struck like a thunderbolt. Two were killed as he appeared between them and he struck out with is palm, crushing the windpipe of another one. As the soldiers throat caved in, felling him, Tai, much to his own disgust, knocked a deer down with one fell swipe of his paw. He stared at the blood on his paw. It felt _good_ – No! He shook his head and forced himself to stab the next soldier. As the blood ran down in rivets of ruby red, he forced himself to look away. Yet he could feel the warm liquid run down his paw and soak his fur. Pulling the knife out, clearly shaken, he fulfilled his promise to Shang by killing the third one. The way he did it though proved he didn't have as much control over Gu-Yi as he thought. Tai actually _bit_ down on the creatures skull. It was crushed beneath the powerful jaws. The brains fluids, grey matter, and blood filled his mouth. A small portion of his wanted to wriggle in delight, yet most of him was horrified – the most terrifying part of it was, Shang didn't see and Tai was already struggling as it was to control his body as he felt Gu-Yi resurface. Shaking visibly, he and Shang walked into the prisoner's tent. They hadn't made a sound, so the Officers and the warlords hadn't noticed.

The first thing that happened were Kun's and Tai's eyes to lock onto each other. Kun's now gaunt face turned into a joyful grin. Kun's smile was infectious, so Tai smiled as well. Tai's father couldn't take it anymore.

"Sun! Wake up, my sunshine!"

As Sun, who had been taking a nap – they had been tortured before the battle, particularly by Canku due to his rage at his failing Officers – rubbed her sleepy eyes with her free paw. When she saw her son, thought to be dead, she bolted upright. Still, her bound paw was kept hidden. She and Kun got up and they embraced Tai. He held them tight. It was a joyful reunion. But it was about to be cut short when Tai noticed the way they were hugging him.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. Shang tapped his foot on the ground. They needed to get back to the wolves! "Besides what you've been through, is everything fine?"

"Yes, my Tai, everything is fine," replied Sun. Tears flowed from her eyes as she stroked his fur. It had been a long time since she had felt it. Still soft despite the sweat that soaked it. The metallic scent of blood also lingered on it, yet she pushed her worries aside, he was her son and he was here to save her! Kun also stood, comfortably, near Sun and Tai. He just smiled and stared proudly at his son. Thought dead but alive.

"No, you aren't all right. Why are you hiding your paws like that?"

Shang couldn't take it anymore, he needed to get back!

"Excuse me, sire," he said hurriedly, he brought forth the bound, chained paws together.

The sight caused Tai's blood to boil. Gu-Yi started to whisper things to time. He started to get rigid. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Kun and Sun looked at their son with concern. Shang, on the other paw, began to lunge forward, grabbing at Tai's paw. He grabbed the wrong one.

_They have harmed your parents_, it seemed to whisper, _why will you let them get away with this?_

"_I...am...not...your slave_," he whispered to it in his mind.

_They have made a slave of your parents! Think of the blood that was spilled from them? Think of the harm the wolves have caused. They need to _die_. By your claws and your fangs will they be felled. Blood choke them and it will nourish you. What are you waiting for?_

"_Peace..._" Tai fought back. He felt Shang's paw grab his and begin to lift it up to his eyes.

_Why?_ Thundered the voice within him – his own voice now, hauntingly close and near. _You are a _Hunter_. They are prey and you will not let them escape. _Smell _their blood and smell their fear; for their fear is great_.

Then Tai's left paw was brought into his sight. There was no Peace Mark, instead, the fresh blood of those he had killed – _Those you have slain!_ – painted it.

_Crimson flow, makes one let the madness go._

_CRIMSON FLOW! BLOOD!_

Tai's eyes snapped open. They were the eyes of a hunter. His claws unsheathed and he bared his fangs. Shang, Kun, and Sun all stared at him with horror. Kun the most. He hadn't been able to tell Tai about this! Yet Shang had gone for his paw, the only place were the peace mark was placed. He had known. Li must have come to him. Alone as well, to face Gu-Yi. Kun felt ashamed. His thoughts, though, were drowned out by the primeval roar that was let loose by Tai, conquered for now by Gu-Yi. He ran out of the tent, ready to hunt his prey.

"Make your way to the farthest side of the Jade Palace, take the way paths that travel the farthest around the village. You can then double back and meet us in the village if we win. If not, go the Imperial City."

Kun shook his head and took Shang's paw. "You haven't failed me, Shang. It is an honor to have you still in my Guard."

Shang beamed and he ran off, invigorated by Kun's heartening words.

* * *

><p>It might have been pure skill or just dumb luck, but Po had been able to keep his father's shop from getting ravaged by the hordes – not that you could call it that – of the wolves. Glancing back over his shoulder to make sure that none of the enemy had been able to get pass him and into the shop, Po fought with help of a squad from the Patrol. The Patrol soldiers knew some kung fu, but it wasn't as extensive as any of the students at the Jade Palace had been able to undertake. Together though, they had been able to fend off from their position. Po had learned the way the Patrol fought was based more on strength of arms rather than mind. Coupled with Po's kung fu, they formed an imposing opponent for any that dared to try to attack them. The village wasn't becoming a good place to battle though. The bodies of the slain, a mere hindrance at first, had become a major hazard. Anyone could slip on the soft corpses or the blood puddles. The weapons of the fallen also were a danger. A dagger thrust up might jab an animal on the foot causing them to pause; that pause was enough to be killed. Now the two armies and kung fu masters had to literally dance as they fought to avoid from being tripped. It would have been comical if not for the dire situation. The sheer number of the wolves' troops had begun overwhelm the smaller Patrol, the Furious Five, and Dragon Warrior. Po hadn't seen Tai, Shang, or Mei and he worried for them. He had become friends with all of them. He forced himself to fight the thoughts of death from his mind. He had seen Tai defend himself from crossbow bolts that flew faster than the eye could fallow, so he would be fine within the whirlwind of bodies, whether they be dead or still breathing. Po snapped the wrist of a fox. The fox's face turned white with the pain. A Patrol soldier stabbed the fox, twisted his blade, and pulled it out in time to parry a gazelle's axe blow. Po heard the sound of metal hitting metal. A Li-Chow had been able to stop a three-pronged attack on Po while he had been dealing with a rather bothersome rhino.<p>

"Thanks!" he shouted without looking.

The soldier just grunted in reply. She didn't have any breath to waste on speaking. No answer coming in reply, Po continued fighting. There was nothing he couldn't do with his Inner Peace. Every move he made was guided by that knowledge and his entire body moved with a fluidness that even Mei would have begun to envy. He grinned as a few of the enemy were cut down by their own comrades. Within the throng, he was surprised the Army in Black hadn't killed as many as their own as they should have. Bloodlust seemed to run deep and thorough in the wolves' army; both dangerous and a terrible advantage.

An earsplitting roar overtook the normal din of battle. For a moment all came to a stand still. No animal had ever heard a roar like that. It wasn't _natural_. Some truly feral, a beast by nature, was the only thing that could have made even a _noise_ like that! Po stared up near the back of the army, were they knew Canku and Xisong were. It was almost a miraculous moment. No animal moved a muscle. The moment was surreal. All strife and anger was forgotten as each one contemplated the meaning of the roar. The sound was nothing like the howl of Canku or Xisong. Those who had heard Kar – or Niyein for that matter – roar, they discounted them almost immediately. The soldiers who had heard Kun roar, with shivers, correlated it to that, but this roar was a bit higher pitched. Not piercing, it was still a rumbling roar, but it wasn't as deep as Kun's. The tiger's wife? No, they had never seen her get anything relating to anger. A few muttered among themselves. One of the Li-Chow soldiers near Po got antsy and leaned over to the panda.

"What do we do?"

"Just stay put. Use this as a breather. _Phew_, I'm happy we're getting one. I'm tired."

The soldier nodded and returned to his position. Another voice rang out, the voice of Canku.

"Get out of my damn way!" he cried out furiously, batting away his own soldiers. Xisong was close on his heels. A bit farther away, running on all fours, was Tai. His fangs and claws had adopted a reddish tint from the Officers he had killed trying to get to Canku and Xisong. Any soldiers unfortunate enough to get caught between Tai and the wolves was torn to shreds by the enraged tiger. Po gaped at Tai.

"So _that's_ Gu-Yi," he gasped. "Ugh." Po stuck his tongue out as Tai, still in his wild state, took a massive chuck of flesh from a bear and, much to Po's own disgust, swallowed it. "Nasty too!"

"_Who_ is _that_?" asked one of the Li-Chow furiously.

"Tai," answered Po.

Then, the magical moments of stillness broke and the Army in Black began to fall upon Tai. Po leapt to Tai's help, though careful to avoid his flashing claws. The call to arms was brought back up again and the battle ensued once more. Besides the sounds of battle – steel on steel, the screams of the wounded, the battle cries, the sound of steel sinking into flesh – the battle was punctuated with enraged outbursts from Tai. It was almost unnerving to see the usually calm and peaceful tiger in such a bloodthirsty state. A few started to flee, they had had enough. Archers, seeing the deserters, either Army in Black or Li-Chow, shot them down. The rest of the Furious Five came to Tai's aid as well, as most the bulk had begun to migrate there. All of them followed Po's example. Shang joined moments later. The Golden cat felt ashamed that he had failed his friend. All he had to do was to get into – nope! That wouldn't happen. He had to figure out how though. The fight was still going strong. The Army in Black fending off Tai for two reasons. One, they didn't want to get killed by the crazed tiger, and two, no one wanted to deal with Canku and Xisong if somehow they did escape here alive.

A soldier lunged for Po yet he was batted away with ease and got impaled on the spears of a soldier further back pressing forward. Po cringed and continued fighting. Little did he noticed, a sneaky soldier had noticed the knife that hung loosely in his belt. If she could complete her maneuver with a few deft movements, the panda would be dead. That would help them immensely. What she forgot though, was the Po had been trained to detect things that normal animals wouldn't. Feeling the action as the knife was pulled out and shoved in his direction he grabbed the nearest animal and used it as a shield. The knife plunged into the goose. No blood came out though. Po, the skewered goose, and the Army in Black soldier just stared at each other – with the exception of the goose. He was dead.

An intense rumble started near the hills and carried out down to the village. The ground started to shake. Hairline cracks appeared in the ground and a strange dark mist began to seep out of it. It was highlighted by glowing lights that seemed to lace themselves in the mist. The ground still shook and those standing up fell, even Tai was sent sprawling onto his stomach. The mist began to grow and form something. A torso was formed, its base reaching down into the cracks that grew wider and wider with each shaking of the earth. Arm with long fingers, claws at the end grew. A head with pointed ears and eyes that seemed to be glow and still have a coldness to them. Facial features, besides the eyes and ears, didn't form; that didn't stop a deep, cold voice calling out from the depths of the fissures in the ground.

"_You have sacrificed blood with our knife! We only ask of your possessions, yet you have given us something else. We will accept penance for that act. But, you have shown us that the greatest sacrifice is the most prized possession – your life! Our gratitude to you, O slayer of the flesh._"

With a horrific howl and the sound of a great wind, the goose was split apart by unseen forces. Po's paws were covered in the innards of the goose. He wiped the hastily on the nearest animal he could find. The wind started sucking things in, mostly the weapons of the armies. Penance was truly being taken. Weapons were ripped from the paws of most. The obsidian blade glimmered, turning a white hot. The Army in Black soldier dropped the knife. She fled. There was no way she would deal with this again! The dark, misty figure began to sink back into the cracks. Harsh whispers seemed to reach the ears of those who listened. The Army in Black began to flee. They had reached their limit. En masse, they fled the village. Canku and Xisong knew it was pointless to call them back. Skirting around a still slightly dazed Tai, they sprinted off in the direction of the old camp.

* * *

><p>Tai got up. His mind was pure rage and fury. His prey had escaped him! He took a whiff of the air. Too much blood to isolate the wolves who had hurt his parents! Where were they? He would hunt them down. He began to run forward. A golden streak blasted out of no where. Tai lashed out at his assailant. His hunter's mind paid no attention to who it was, yet the inkling of himself that was still left screamed in horror as he realized it was Shang.<p>

The intense feeling from his old self started to crack the shell that the primeval feelings had wrapped his mind around. Tai staggered up onto two feet. He clutched his head. Already he was beginning to fight back. He began to stumble forward. Tai needed to regain his balance. His crooked tail lashed back and forth so quickly it almost hurt. The tiger forced himself to look down at Shang. He had gouged Shang's face and his side slightly. The injuries afflicted by him made Gu-Yi shout out. But for the first time, it was struggling to find the rage.

_Look at this! Who has done this? They will suffer, let your claws sink into their flesh-_

"_You_ have done this," Tai whispered. "Let your mind be like a pond. Calm and collected. Peace guide you."

On it went, Tai battling himself. Li's saying rang forth in his mind.

_Crimson flow,_

_Makes one let the madness go._

That had already happened. Tai forced himself to continue before the smell of blood that permeated the air aroused his primitive self back.

_The beast inside,_

_Must be pushed back with the tide,_

_Of peace!_

The last line brought him closer to his goal. Slowly, agonizingly, he brought himself to push back Gu-Yi further into the farthest recesses of his mind. He wouldn't let it escape! He tried to bring up his paw with the Peace Mark, yet he found he couldn't. A familiar paw rested on his shoulder.

"Peace Tai," said the voice behind him.

The rage and anger melted away. He turned, expecting to see Li. Instead, it was his father. Kun looked at Tai. He smiled at him. His son was back – all the way now. Tai couldn't help it, but his eyes started to fill with tears.

"Father," he whispered. "You're here." That was all he was able to choke out before tears of joy began to fall freely from his eyes.

The sight of her son's tears also brought the diamonds of water and salt to Sun's eyes. She reached forward and hugged Tai with a crushing embrace – Kun helped as well. The fighting was done and they were together again. The Furious Five and Dragon Warrior stood beside, watching the sight with smiles on each of their faces. Even Tigress was grinning. Viper slithered over to where Shang lay and helped him up. Surprisingly, the Golden cat was able to get up. The mauling he had received wasn't as severe as it seemed, though it still hurt like hell. He limped over to Tai.

"I forgive you," he said, pushing Tai slightly.

Tai laughed. "Good. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"But I am sorry too. I shouldn't have forced you to do that..."

"And I forgive you. The past is the past, right? Besides, I should have had a better control on that _damn_ Gu-Yi."

Shang blinked when he heard the mild profanity from Tai's lips. Crane landed next to Shang. He had helped Mei down the stairs and leaned her against Shang.

"We won," she said, her voice just barely audible, yet a smile was upon her lips. "I knew we would."

"Of course you did," replied Shang, kissing her lightly on the head. Mei purred slightly, though it was painful. Shang allowed himself to purr as well. Kun looked at Shang with eyebrows raised. Shang shrugged.

"I like it...kinda."

Kun smiled. "I do it too. Don't worry." Kun Zhu winked at Shang.

"Group hug!" called out Sun. "You as well," she added, gesturing toward the Furious Five to join them.

Slightly reluctantly, the Furious Five joined in a massive hug. Gathering up her strength, and in a rather good fashion of Wi's voice, Mei jibed at the group hug.

"Rather cliché, don't you think?"

"Not at all."

Amid general laughter, they all shared the togetherness together. A joyous moment indeed.

* * *

><p>Canku and Xisong ran until they reached their old tents. The Army in Black continued on going. They had instructed Niyein and Kar to see if they could marshal the Army back at Mengyou City. That, for now, would be their headquarters until they could gather up their moral and support again. Who knew how long that would take? Gathering up their supplies from the tent, they started to make their way out. Their pups were with their personal nanny heading back to Mengyou City were they would meet them there. Xisong checked around the tent once more as she took a torch. They needed to burn this place so that no evidence was left. Canku caught her by the paw as she was ready to fling the torch back in.<p>

"Set it down," he said calmly, betraying the mix of emotions that was boiling beneath. "Take this."

Canku handed his mate a bow and a quiver of arrows. He himself took a set. He started to head off back in the direction of the Valley of Peace. Ignoring the dead body of an Officer beside him, he stepped over it and set a determined pace. Xisong ran to catch up to her mate.

"We could get killed!"

"No, that crazed tiger is back to normal now. While you were checking up your things, I took a peek for the last time. There they were, embracing, reviling their victory. The soldiers that surprised us milling around, starting clean up already. I have a surprise for them. Do you remember the old stealth techniques we were taught?"

Xisong nodded but forged on with her questions. "Are you sure about this?"

"The most out of all the things I have been positive with. Time for some immediate payback. A little reminder. Think about it."

Xisong nodded again. She vaguely was able to figure out Canku's exact reasoning, but revenge was sweet. Sweeter than honey. Doggedly, she followed after Canku. They made their way unnoticed until they hit the far left of the village. Crossing over into the actual village, they shifted, hid, moved, and shimmied their way forward toward where they knew the group they were targeting was. A lingering Li-Chow almost caught them. Luckily for them, Xisong was on her toes. A arrow plunged into the Li-Chow's throat and he slumped against the wall with a gurgle and a spray of blood. Canku silently conveyed his thanks to Xisong. Reaching the main road, with the highest concentration of Li-Chow, Canku and Xisong made their way into a two-story shop. Killing the guard at the door with an arrow in the eye socket, they climbed the stairs silently. The second floor was silent, empty of soldiers. For this, Canku and Xisong were glad. Finding a way to the roof, they climbed onto it and got ready. Canku had his sights trained on Tai. The tiger moved just as he was about to fire. He cursed and was able to stop from releasing the arrow. The tiger prince was hugging his parents again. Damn hi- Canku had a brilliant idea.

"Change your target. The female tiger, not the masters, just the mother."

"Why?" asked Xisong sharply, though she did aim at Sun.

"It seems we have a new player in this game. That tiger prince that we thought was dead played a greater role in this than we thought. Let's show him how _we_ play."

Xisong nodded. She was fine with that.

Taking their breaths together, they let loose two arrows. They flew straight and true. Before the arrows even struck, they bailed out, not wanting to even be visible when the arrows struck.

* * *

><p>Tai first felt his mother go limp. His heart started to pound. He felt around her body. His paw met blood. He started to panic. There was no way <em>this<em> was happening! It was impossible. They had won, and heroes go home victorious, not with their hearts broken, right? There was nothing in the world that would separate them again. They would be together and he would finally make his father truly proud. Hadn't he already done that though? He had rescued them from the wolves! But, then, what if they were dying? He would have failed his parents. Then Canku and Xisong would have victory over him...why? Why must this happen?

His thoughts rushed through his mind at a million miles per hour. Time truly seemed to slow. His mother's eyes were closing though. Her eyes started to gaze off, getting lost in her son's eyes. She used her remaining strength and was able to brush it against Tai's cheek. Lifting her head up, she was able to give Tai a ghost of a kiss, whispering, "I love you." Tears welled up. "I love you too, mom," Tai said, though he was urgent, desperate. He noticed Tigress crying out and the blurs of the Furious Five leaving the village, hunting down the backstabbing wolves. Even Shang, in his condition started after them, anger fueling his steps. Tai felt no anger though, just pure grief and sorrow. With her last breath, Sun Nushi fell into her eternal sleep. Her mouth was set in a smile. She had seen her son one last time.

Tai hurriedly look at his father. His father had gone limp.

"Not you too!" Tai practically shouted. Would his father be taken away from him as well?

"I'm sorry," Kun said. He smiled painfully at Tai. And, though he was still tied to Sun, he gave his son a long embrace; something he hadn't given Tai in a long time. "I regret that I wasn't able to spend more time with you." Kun coughed up blood onto Tai. He smiled weakly again, apologetically. Tai didn't notice, he was too intent on hearing everyone of his father's words.

"No. I felt that I still knew you."

"Not as much as," Kun coughed, "you should have."

Kun felt his legs being to weaken and he began to drop to the ground. His strength was fading and he wanted to use every last drop of it to spend time with his son – for however long he had. Kun pulled Tai to the ground. Kun lay there, his breathing became labored.

"Such a pity, yet a blessing too," said Kun, referencing to his injuring that was sapping away at his life. "At least I am here to talk with you. A game of chess?" Kun inquired.

Tai forced himself to laugh at Kun's joke. He didn't like the joke at all, though.

"Later," Tai said. "I promise you, I'll do it later. I don't think we have time."

"I'll remember that," said Kun, laying down all the way now. "Chances are I'm going to beat you though. I've been practicing and I'll have all the time to practice."

"So will I."

"Who am I kidding," Kun replied, "you'll beat me anyways. Unless you let me win."

"I will."

"Good," smiled Kun. "I await our game of chess. Let it be our best one yet. Just you and I, no distractions. It will be perfect. Tai...I look forward to seeing you again. I'll have that chess board ready, waiting for you."

With that, Kun closed his eyes. The Lord and Lady of Mengyou City, father and mother to Tai, died in their son's paws.

Senlin-Mu, from his lofty heights in the Heavens, watched down from above.

"I promised myself I wouldn't cry," he said to Li who stood beside him.

Li replied calmly, "It would be cruel not to." Li's face was already damp.

"You are right," said Senlin-Mu. He felt his nose get stuffy. He sneezed and a jet of lighting came out of his nose. A big water droplet fell from his eye. "Oh dear, here comes the storm. Rain, it always comes on a gloomy day."

"Yes," acknowledged Li. "Rain always comes..."

Tigress had started to go forward, to chase after whoever had shot Kun and Sun – though the suspect list only composed of two characters. As she took her first step forward, she paused. The sight of the two limp bodies of Kun and Sun caught her attention. They were dead, never to rise again. Next she feared that Tai might go back to Gu-Yi, yet there was the now parentless tiger, kneeling at the bodies of his parents, no rage causing his body to shake, just openly weeping. His body was not shaking of rage, but wracked with grief. Tears, no longer shameful, seemed to form in puddles on the ground, all coming from Tai. Rain started to pour down. Thunder boomed – but it sounded like the anguished cry of a Dragon. Lightning flashed – she could have sworn she caught the form of the Peace Mark within. Then she focused on Tai himself, truly just himself. Her breath caught in her throat...

_She was kneeling at the crater. Shifu's broken body, tattered and sheared apart, staring her in the face. Pieces of flesh and bone were strewn about. Blood splatters covered the jade pillars. The candles now had a pink and red hue to them. The candles on the far side still sputtered on. Torn pieces of Shifu's green robe, now burnt, were lying about. The pulped torso of the red panda lay at the far right side. His legs were all but gone. What replaced it was the jagged, stark white bone of his hips. The eyes were motionless and the pupils were gone, shrinking at the sudden burst of light. The dead red panda still clutched at the now shattered rod in his hand. Tigress broke down in sobs. This was the first time she had cried in a long time. The one who had adopted her from the Bao Gu Orphanage was dead. The one who she had called master and sometime father no longer lived among them. The tattered remains of the once noble and now serene Grand Master was all she had left. The other four lowered their heads in respect – Tigress the only who showing open mourning. They had never seen the rock solid tiger show this much emotion. This truly was a great loss for her._

She took a step forward, almost robotically, remembering how Po had comforted her when this had happened to her. She could do something now. Forgetting her bet with Po and Shang, she truly felt for Tai now. She could see what this all meant to him and how he truly was affected by it all. Maybe they were more alike than they were different. She knelt by Tai. Unable to speak, she just stayed there. It was awkward for her and she cursed herself for it. Po hadn't made it feel awkward, it had helped her. Why couldn't she do it for Tai? It was something that could help him in so many ways. She scooted closer to him. His quiet sniffles and the silent tears were all that was there. Occasionally he would begin to break down again. It was just too much for him – and her – to really take in. Why had it all come down to this? Tigress found herself touching Tai. It sent electric shocks through her body. Tai seemed to respond to it to, yet he refrained from doing anything. His mind was focused on his parents and was in trauma.

Tigress thought back to whenever she had seen Shang and Mei together. All she wanted to do was comfort him, not show love – romantic love that is. What was the easiest possible way? Guiding her tail, she let it lay across Tai's own crooked one. It crossed over hers. She repeated and he repeated silently. Their tails entwined together, Tai really couldn't help it anymore. This time, he truly broke down. Tigress was slightly flustered. She hadn't expected this. Laying a cautious paw across his shoulders, she brought him close. He leaned his head on her shoulder. Yes, it was an odd twist in events. Once Tigress had needed a shoulder to lean upon. Now, she was the shoulder to be leaned upon. They knelt there, feeling the pain and the loss.

_Yet sorrow crushes all,_

_When those nears you fall._

_Empty and hollow you will feel,_

_As beside their bodies you kneel,_

_Shedding salty tears._


	28. Token of Rings

A/N: So, how was the battle scene? Did you cry when Kun and Sun died? Were you at all surprised? If you were, that's great. If not...I need to work on my twists. And don't call me a bastard for killing them! I didn't kill them after all...Canku and Xisong did! Alright, so this is heading toward the end. I have one more chapter left for you guys. Enjoy.

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><p>The steps that led the Jade Palace seemed miles long as Tai climbed them. He remembered Tigress's presence next to him, helping him along. The wounds he had received when he had gone crazed were starting to take a toll on him. His heart was heavy. Each step he took up seemed to drain his energy more than ever. So many lives had been lost today, yet two were the hardest to accept. Tai still felt sorrow for the Li-Chow who's life they had laid down to protect the Valley, Tai even felt sorry for the misguided Army in Black. But he truly cared about his parents – gone.<p>

The sky was still crying. The thunder still sounded as a Dragon in grief. Raindrops pelted them, their cold, icy touch mingling with the salty, warm teardrops from Tai and even Tigress. The memories of everything were now permanently embedded in there minds. Something scared Tigress more than anything else though. Even more than the unrelenting power that Tai was forced to cope with every day, more than the deaths of the Li-Chow, even more than the fact that the wolves' had escaped. It was the eyes of the misty being that had risen up from the fissures in the ground. It had the same red eyes as the ones who had been haunting her in dreams. Or, had been. Finally, the connection had been made. It was a curious discovery for her. The simple presence of Tai seemed to frighten off the horrid dreams. The Dragon's – mostly Senlin-Mu – comforting distance also seemed to keep the red eyes at bay. Usually, she would have been annoyed at this. But now, she didn't mind. She just accepted it. Besides, it would go away. The red eyes wouldn't haunt her forever. Nothing could. Just as the death of Shifu had been accepted – and loathed – her old master had told her to let things in the past _be_ things in the past. So, she would do the same with this. It would be tough, but she could do it.

"I'm sure you can do it, Tigress."

Tigress looked at her side, still lending Tai her strength to get up the steps. At her side was Master Shifu, limping along. His flute was still resting in his bony hands. But, she knew it wasn't a live Master Shifu. Real as he appeared, he was just a specter.

"I am alive as you think me, Tigress," said Shifu out of nowhere, reading her thoughts. "You didn't think I would forget my students, did you?"

"No Master," said Tigress, bowing her head, not wanting to drop Tai. "What can I do for you?" she added at the end.

"Nothing really. I'm here to talk to my daughter. _That_ is all you can do for me right now."

"Then I would be happy to do so, Master."

Tigress looked at Master Shifu. His body was whole, nothing was broken. If she hadn't known better, it would have seemed the red panda was completely fine; that he hadn't been in the violent explosion. Instead, he was smiling and calm. He didn't seem to mind as well. Tigress thought, with some slight grim humor, that he looked better than he had in years.

"Its ironic," said Tigress, "that the wolves' killed your killer."

Shifu chuckled, "It is. Still thinking of avenging me now?"

"No, Master."

"Good."

There was a moment of silence. Tai was also silent. No more tears fell from his eyes – normally brilliant and intelligent, they were dull and soulless. They were in stark contrast to Tigress's. Hers were bright now. Talking with her old master always did that. Even if he was beyond her true reach, she was within his. Whatever Shifu said, she would treasure every word. Would Tai get the same privilege with his parents? Maybe they would come back to talk to him. It was possible, though, she didn't really know how that worked out. She got a pressure on her chest. She could find out for him. And Tai didn't seem to hear them talking at all anyways. Right now, that would be good news to him. Like how Oogway would visit Shifu sometimes. Talking with those who's time has past always comforted one.

"Master Shifu, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did. I don't see why you can't ask another one though," replied Shifu with a straight face.

Tigress started to reply, but paused, her mouth half open. "Ahahahaha," she muttered. Shifu certainly had acquired a sense of humor, or maybe it was that he took things the way Oogway would have. Either way, it would take some time to get used to. Shaking her head, she forged on. "Will Tai be able to talk to his parents again?"

Shifu looked at Tigress, that old twinkle jumping back into his eye. "In a sense, yes. But physically, not for some time to come. It takes time before that connection can be made."

"Then why can you just _do _it. You just started chatting with us basically right after you, uh, yeah."

Shifu nodded, accepting Tigress's argument. "Things are a bit complicated to explain right now. Would it satisfy you to say that Kun and Sun are under different circumstances than I was?"

Tigress nodded, knowing that she would be unable to get anything more out of the red panda. "So, what does that mean?"

"Let me put it this way, he will be able to see them, feel their presence, but won't be able to communicate with them. Just recently I learned that Li, the first ancestor of Tai that was cursed with the Gu-Yi, along with two others guided Tai along his journey here. Li was the only one that was able to truly communicate with him. Yes the others might have 'said' something to him, but they really didn't. That was an illusion of speech. Memories, emotions, and feelings were all that were shared. Li was the only one that spoke."

"Okay," said Tigress slowly, "but that doesn't really answer my question."

Shifu sighed and rubbed his temples. "No. Tai will not be able to _talk_ to them, but he will be able to see them and be guided by them without words. Is that what you need?"

"A simple answer is all I truly wanted."

"Ahhh...and most of the times that is not always what you get, is it?"

"Sadly, no."

Shifu suddenly started laugh. It was a long, genuine laugh. The red panda stopped walking and just stood there, laughing. Tigress felt slightly hurt at this. Shouldn't he be feeling concern for her? Instead he seemed to find mirth in her suffering. She began to protest, but Shifu cut her off.

"No, Tigress. I do not laugh at you. I laugh at the lard butt that is trying to climb the stairs."

"Huh?"

"Simply put, Tigress, look at Po."

Tigress shifted her eyes to were she saw Po trying to climb the stairs back up to the Jade Palace. True to his nature, the panda was struggling with the stairs though the rest of them had passed him and were heading straight toward the three of them. Po waved a hand up desperately in the air. A tiger was at his side. Tigress looked around for Tai at her side. He had been able to get down to Po without her noticing! Tigress let her eyes narrow slightly. She would have to learn how he did that. So far, besides him, she had was able to detect almost any movement. Shang was looking back at Tai as he helped Po up the stairs.

"Almost touching," commented Shifu. "Warriors still fall and warriors still tire, yet a friend will always be at your side. Isn't that right, Tigress?"

"Very...Master."

Shifu sighed contentedly. "My time is up. Don't worry Tigress, I'll see you sooner than you think."

With that, the red panda faded from view. The sound of his flute began to play in Tigress's ears and it gradually faded away. Viper was at Tigress's side just as the last note faded.

"How is he doing, Tigress?" asked the snake.

"Who? Tai?"

Viper nodded.

"He's doing better."

Viper looked angrily at the hills and hissed. "I wish we could have caught them. Somehow they escaped." Her voice softened, "It isn't fair what happened to Tai. He is so nice. Did you catch anything that went between Tai and his parents?"

Tigress flattened her ears. She had actually heard a good amount. "Nothing that I care to repeat."

Viper looked at Tigress with concern on her innocent eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It's private. I don't think I should have heard it myself. If you want to know, ask Tai."

"Mmmkay. What do you think is going to happen next?"

"We are going to have to rebuild this all."

"Hey! What about the villagers! We need to get them back home!"

"First thing that is going to happen as soon as Crane feels like it."

Viper nodded and headed up the stairs with Tigress following. They had a lot to do.

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><p>Shang was almost surprised as Mei leapt up on him when he reached the top stairs of the Jade Palace. The clouded leopard kissed Shang deeply and he let himself go with it. He was happy that Mei was going to be okay. Tai's quick work had actually done a lot of good; more good than Tai would give himself credit for. Mei broke away, yet Shang held her close. Mei buried her face into Shang's fuzzy chest and they stood there in each other's arms, letting themselves escape from reality for just a moment. The moment passed faster than Shang would have liked, but he let go. Mei stood there, almost as if she hadn't been wounded, yet her paw immediately moved to her side. She sensed the Golden cat's concern.<p>

"Nothing too major," she said, trying to ease Shang's apprehension. "Besides, I've got the best medicine the in the world."

"What's that?" asked Shang earnestly.

"Love!"

The couple heard a few groans and they laughed.

"Shuttup Mantis. You too Monkey!" Shang called out.

"Why can't you?" muttered Monkey as he walked past with his odd gait.

"It is physically impossible," replied Shang.

Again, groans were heard. Monkey covered his ears and moved quickly out of the room before any more was said. Mantis followed, riding on Monkey's back. Mei giggled and she started moving toward the kitchen. The clouded leopard grabbed Shang's paw. Shang allowed himself to be lead there, sometimes having to support Mei when her wound pained her.

_Battle and war hurt all_, Shang thought. _No doubt there._

Mei sat herself and Shang down at the table. Nobody else was in the kitchen. Shang looked around, trying to figure out what exactly Mei was up to. As far as he could see, there was nothing out of place that betrayed a surprise. He checked under the table and around his chair. Mei rose an eyebrow. That was the trouble with soldiers, they always needed to inspect everything and try to figure out what was going to happen before it did. Then again, it was their job to that...and then prevent it. Shang continued searching for a full five minutes. All the while, Mei waited patiently. She was used to this. She let her tail twist into funny shapes. Once she tied a knot in her own tail and then untied it without using her paws. Shang still couldn't figure out what she was hiding. Just as Shang was about to give up, he spotted something. A slight bulge on Mei's tunic – well, and out of place bulge.

"What's that?" he asked. His paw pointed in the direction of the object.

Mei smiled and pulled out a chain. It was a thin chain. The finish was done rather well and the steel was brightly polished. The ends were loose, with clasps at the end for something with a bigger diameter to be attached at the end.

"A chain?"

"Yes, what else would it be?"

Shang lifted the chain up to study it. "I'm just saying..."

"Oh. Are you gonna ask me what's it for?"

"I am. What are you going to use it for?"

Mei motioned for Shang to lean in. The clouded leopard looked around, making sure no one else was around to hear her. It was like she had a terrible secret that she didn't want anyone else to hear. Shang obliged and listened intently. Mei usually had good ideas and he didn't want to miss out on this one. But what would she want with a chain?

"It's going to be a present for Tai."

"But a chain? What's that supposed to mean? I think Tai might take it the wrong way."

"No, listen, its going to be what we're going to _do_ the chain that will make it special."

Shang nodded and looked back down at the chain. He moved it from paw to paw. It glittered against the candle light. Rain poured off against the rooftops. Thunder boomed high in the sky above them. The crackle of lighting could be heard once and a while. All of it reminded them of what had happened. Gloom had settled, yet that didn't mean it would stay. Mei started back up.

"I'm going to go out there and take the two rings and chain that had tied their paws together. I was going try to loop the rings together and thread the chain through them. Then attach it to this chain. It would be like a necklace."

Shang started to nod, but shook his head instead. A frown formed. "Are you sure? This might remind Tai of them _too_ well and what they went through."

Mei took Shang's paw and squeezed it. "I'm sure of this. Let's go before anyone notices. We can ask a smith later to do it."

Shang glanced at the ceiling, contemplating on whether they should do it or not. He wasn't so sure about it. A voice from his deepest conscious seemed to whisper to him, encouraging him to do the right thing. But what was the right thing? Reminding Tai of this? Or having something to _remind_ Tai of what had happened, yet keep them close.

_Yet we should honor our heroes that have fallen_, he finally concluded. "Let's go."

Mei's cheery face went serious. She looked at the chain. "Do you really think this is such a good idea?"

Shang, expecting her to have already been out the door, eased himself back into his seat. He studied her, trying to pick out any information hidden in her body language. Normally, Mei didn't second guess herself, what had all of a sudden changed her mind? He even had said that they should do it. This wasn't the Mei he knew.

"Everything alright?"

Mei leaned back in her chair. She hugged the chain close to her body. Shang got up and took a seat on the chair next to her. He wrapped his strong arms around her. The clouded leopard rested her head on his shoulders. Shang could wait till Mei decided to speak. He wouldn't rush her. Suddenly, Mei started to sniffle. She wiped her nose with her paw. Shang felt some damp spots on his shoulder. Mei was _crying_? It was a _what the hell_ moment for him.

"Hey, could you mind leaking a bit less," he said jokingly, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "I don't want to drown."

"Well, take a deep breath," she said between tears, "you might have to."

Shang furrowed his brow. Something was bothering her..._a lot_. Yet this was familiar in a way. Where had he seen something like this? His mind started to wonder when it hit him. Mei had just fought in her first battle. The shock usually alone usually instigates some sort of reaction – like crying or just silence and isolation – to most animals.

"Is it about the battle?" he said gently.

Mei looked at the Golden cat. "A little," she admitted. "It's more than that though."

Shang looked at Mei's paws. She was toying with the chain, tying it in knots like she had been doing with her tail. Redundant. Shang let Mei be for a little bit. He felt her body press up against his. He had _never_ seen Mei like this. Ever. Something must have finally hit her and if it wasn't a reaction to the battle... He took her paw into his and rubbed the back with his thumb.

"Can I ask what it is?"

"It's everything that happened, really," she replied shakily, fighting the tears. Suddenly, she started to get angry. Shang bit his lip as her claws dug into his skin. He cringed when he saw blood being drawn, but didn't say anything. "All the lives lost at Mengyou City. They were good animals and they were just slaughtered. Then, we traveled and we went through almost everything imaginable! Tai found out something terrible and all the hurt that it caused him is almost unforgivable. The trail of destruction caused by the wolves now spans throughout much of China. Most of all though, Tai's parents are killed when he rescues them."

Shang nodded in agreement and started to answer, but he was cut off by a fresh wave of sobs from Mei. She had forgotten two very important animals and had remembered.

"What hurts most though, are my parents. I lost them because of those _damn_ wolves. Never again will I hear their voices. I won't see them again. Neither will Tai. We have lost them. We can't turn to them for guidance and we can't go to them when we need help or just to talk to."

Her claws retracted and Shang breathed a sigh of relief. Mei's body was wracked with sobs by the time he had inspected his paw – the cuts would heal without a problem. She kneaded his fur, as if he was her only connection to the real world. Shang kissed her on the top of the head. He felt moved. Looking back, it was heart wrenching the grief the wolves had caused. They had escaped though and were, without a doubt, going to come back to cause even more grief and death. Shang tried to think of something to tell Mei, but nothing came to his mind all the way. Shang suddenly felt something tickle his whiskers. He slapped at it and felt something scaly.

"Viper...oh Heavens."

In the place of where Shang thought Viper was, there was Senlin-Mu. The Dragon, usually massive, had shrunk down to fit into the small space. The old, aged eyes stared at Shang with mischievousness. They twinkled with unbound wisdom and knowledge. The Dragon's warm voice filled Shang's mind.

"Greetings Shang, I am Senlin-Mu. I am a Dragon, yes, so don't ask that question. Now, take this flower and give it to Mei. It will never wither and it will always smell like it does now. A present from me to you to her."

Senlin-Mu winked and disappeared before Shang could say anything. With the only sound being the tears that fell from Mei – and the sky – Shang noticed a beautiful flower lying pristinely on the wooden table. The stalk felt smooth as he picked it up. His nose was filled with a fragrance that was mellow and pleasing. The actual petals were a pure white with slight patches of periwinkle splayed out. The petals were strong and fibrous, yet pleasing to the touch. He brought the flower and let it fall near Mei's nose. She lifted her head up. Her eyes fell on the flower immediately.

"For you," Shang said.

She sat up, taking the flower in both paws, dropping the chain onto her lap. Her tail stopped making patterns and just rocked back and forth. The clouded leopard started to hum something, words forming on her lips but no sound coming out. She caressed the flower.

"Oh Shang," she breathed. Tears stopped flowing because of sadness. They were replaced with joy. "I don't know how you knew, but this is perfect. My parents always said they would find a flower like this. They never did, but you did. This is what I needed. And that is what Tai needs as well. I don't know how you do it, Shang, but you do."

Shang was flustered and tried to explain that it was from Senlin-Mu, but he wasn't able to say the words. His tongue couldn't say the words. He tried again and failed. Forgetting it, he sent a quick "thank you"to the Dragon.

_You're welcome_.

Shang froze when he heard the Dragon's voice in his mind, but let it pass. Mei had already got a simple glass, filled it with water, and placed the flower in it. Shang got up as Mei left the kitchen and went to their room. She placed the flower on the chest and went back to the get the chain.

"Let's go get those rings," she said confidently.

Shang led Mei to the front door and pulled out an umbrella that had been left there by a soldier. He would have to return it to her, but for now it would be theirs. Guarded from the rain, they walked down the slippery steps. They were cautious, but made good progress. As they reached the bottom, bodies still were in the streets, but the soldiers had piled them up. They would bury them later. The street where Kun and Sun had died was fresh in their memories, but they worried that the soldiers had moved the bodies. A sentry was hailed, but the sentry knew nothing of the bodies.

"Rumor 'as it," he said, "t'ose bodies couldn't e'en be found!"

Mei thanked him and they hurried off to the street where they knew the bodies had lay. They reached the long street, it was dark in the sunless sky. The pavement was slick with rain. The body piles were pushed against the side of buildings and they tried to see if they could make out the tiger couples bodies. They couldn't find any sign of the black and orange stripes that were telltale to the tigers. Finally, they reached the exact spot where Kun and Sun. Both of them were speechless.

There, instead of two bodies, were an assortment of tiger lily petals. In the middle of them were the rings, intertwined. Mei stared at it for the longest time before bending down and picking up the rings. Etched along the outside of the rings were the characters for _Kun_ and _Sun_. The chain had already been threaded through it. Mei was astounded by the craftsmanship that was displayed. No seams where the rings would have been melded back together was seen. There were no hairline cracks and the polish, though dull, gave it a slight luster that was pleasing to the eye. The penmanship of the calligraphy was nothing short of the rest of the rings. Mei noticed that the shape of the rings had not been changed though. They were still crudely made. Yet whatever had been done to them made them look something to treasure. Shang nudged Mei with his elbow.

"Look up," he whispered harshly.

Mei looked at Shang. The Golden cat pointed in front of him. The specters of Kun and Sun, their backs facing them, began climbing upward on some invisible staircase. Beside them, were Mi and Fei, Mei's parents. The two clouded leopards turned slightly, their eyes closed, and waved at their daughter. Mi blew Mei a kiss before they all turned away from them and disappeared.

"Maybe they are still here," Mei said, thinking aloud.

"Never thought I would agree to that," commented Shang. "But I guess you're right."

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm always right!"

"Whatever you say."

Mei nodded. "Exactly."

They climbed back up the stairs and finished connecting the chains. Now all they needed to do was to give this to Tai. And the timing had to be perfect.


	29. A Long Journey's End

A/N: Last chapter! So relieved and excited. Enjoy.

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><p>Crane cawed out triumphantly and flew furiously toward the Jade Palace. The villagers were back and the village had been cleaned up. Li-Chow soldiers – all that still lived – had been stationed at regular intervals to welcome the villagers in as well. A cheer broke out among the crowd when they spotted the Furious Five, the Dragon Warrior, and even Tai, Shang, and Mei. Commander Zhou blew his bugle and the soldiers went to an at ease position. Little was known to the villagers about the pure size of the battle. The buildings had been reconstructed to everyone's best ability so that the villagers didn't have to deal with too much damage. The Heroes of the Valley of Peace were almost crushed beneath the tide of animals that rushed to them, all trying to speak at once. China had been saved again by their own home town heroes, how much more could they have to boast? The best warriors, the safest place in China, <em>and<em> the best noodles! No other province or area could claim that. It was a time for rejoicing and the villagers did. All of them ran to their houses and put back their belongings. Kites were taken out to celebrate and the cooks around the village began to prepare a massive party for everyone – making sure there was enough for Po as well. The smells of food and the sound of chatter filled the Valley once more. A peaceful time once again was here and, to the villagers, it was here to stay.

Po lifted up his tray of food as he narrowly avoided two small bunnies playing tag. Shang watched them pass as he caught up to the panda. They were both headed to Mr. Ping's soup shop. The goose had set up a special table for them and offered them discounted prices because of their victory. Mr. Ping was especially pleased that Po had been able to keep his store intact as well as he had. Laughter filled the streets as villagers talked with the Patrol members and over it all was the hubbub of conversation. Shang stepped over a puddle of spilled soup and continued walking.

"You really think you'll be able to eat all that?" asked Shang, looking skeptically at Po's tray, piled high with food.

"No," said Po. He was already chomping down on some bean buns. "I know I will. I'm so hungry I think I could eat a house."

"Probably not very good for your health," commented Shang dryly. "Besides, it wouldn't have much flavor."

"Point taken," acknowledged Po. He thought for a while, moving from bean bun to rice cake. Cake! "Then I would be able to eat an entire cake the size of a house."

"That's something I would like to see."

"Me too."

Mr. Ping's place was already filled with animals trying to talk with the Furious Five and the other three who had saved their homes. Tai was flustered and tried to be polite as he could, but inside he was still hurting. Mei gladly conversed with whomever, but really wanted to get back to a talking with Monkey who had been in the middle of telling a rather funny story. Mantis had a crowd of children captivated as told the story of the battle in a Po-like fashion. In other words, their was a lot of exaggeration. Mr. Ping had also set up a shop where he sold figurines. He had caught onto the idea when he had seen how popular they were selling, so he decided to get a wing into the business. The goose was actually doing quite well. Mainly because he had been able to release the 'new edition' figures of Tai, Shang, and Mei before anyone else had. Competitors were catching up, but Mr. Ping was sure he would have a surplus of coin before the end of the night. When a bunny ran up to Tai, asking for him to sign one of his action figures, he was even more flustered. The tiger looked over and around the figurine at least twenty times, in pure disbelief that it was _him_ as a hero. Shang plopped down next to Tai. Mei was right beside Shang as well.

"You know you've got a couple other fans waiting for your signature," said Shang.

"Look at this! It's me! Smaller and made of wood!" exclaimed Tai.

The bunny who owned it smirked. "Uh, duh, who else would it be?"

Tai's eyes just got wider. He took a quill and wrote his name meticulously where the bunny had pointed out. Handing it back, he took a deep breath and smiled. Animals liked him now. He wasn't the oddball, or the royalty who you couldn't even associate with. No longer was he a target for the bullies. He wasn't even the young tiger that others used to always associate him. He was a _hero_ in animal's eyes now. How sweet that sounded to his ears. Never had he expected to be called a hero, let alone be where he was now. Yet he was.

_Hero_.

A word he would have never associated himself with. But what qualified himself as a hero? He frowned and continued to sign figurines. As the last child walked up, he turned to her and asked her point blank.

"Why am I a hero?"

Laughter and talk were load enough, so Tai was surprised when he heard her answer loud and clear.

"You saved us." The little child cocked her head to the side.

"What does a hero mean, though?"

"I don't know. I just know you are one," her confident reply was. "Will you sign that please? I want to show my mommy."

"Alright," said Tai, still wondering what it meant, hero. He had heard it time and time again, yet now he truly wondered what it meant. After all, he was one now and he wanted to know what it meant. He handed back the figure to the little girl. She squealed with excitement and ran off waving her figure in the air in excitement. Tai studied the girl, watching as they started to reenact the battle scene in their own eyes. They fought off imaginary enemies and Tai saw the boy using the Crane figure swoop it up and down, pretending to attack from the air.

All of the little children kids moved the action figures in fighting kung fu moves, all doing what they believed where herculean feats of their own. Tai frowned though, when he saw his own figure being used to beat back a group of the enemy.

_Claws flashed and blood spurted as he ripped apart his prey. The wolves would not escape, why would they even imagine they will? He roared and he felt his prey quake in their spots. Pain and grief, that was all they had caused and that was all they would feel. Their corpses would be his next meal. The pitiful followers of this alpha would flee as they watched their leaders devoured. Wolf meat, how would that taste? Would it be like that other meat? Or would it be soft and tender?_

Tai shut his eyes as the memories started to pound down on him. He excused himself hastily from the table and went up the stairs to Po's bedroom. He sat on the bed, fighting back the memories. Terrible memories...

_Yet another one was felled underneath him. He could feel the blood wetting his throat. It made him feel alive. Was there to still be more before he could catch his other prey? He clawed another one. Another roar started to fill his mind. He roared back in defiance. Then the army fell down on him. He fought savagely. How_dare _they try to defeat him! Did they not know he was a Hunter and they were prey? They would pay dearly for the blood that they spilled. He tackled one to the ground. A blade sliced at his hide. His claws flashed once. The chest of the unlucky soldier was ripped open. Tai whirled and was on the downed soldier at once. The ribs were ripped off. The soft heart shuddered and stopped beating. This prey was dead yet there were still more._

Tai's breathing got faster. He lay down on the bed, curling up into a ball. His paws were clenched into fists and his body shook. His tail moved jaggedly; back and forth, up and down, in all directions. He gasped as the next wave hit him, yet this was different.

_A golden thing was beside him, helping him. More came to help him, not to fight him. A vague recollection of his...friends? He felt his thirst for blood begin to lessen slightly, yet it still drove him. After that, all went dark and weird. Something made his vision blackout. He law sprawling on the ground, unsure of what to do. It was the confusion that scared him. The Hunter should not be confused, only the prey was to be confused and frightened and scared. A sudden silence overtook him. Then, an alien feeling began to fill his mind. It wasn't_all _alien though. It seemed like a long lost idea, thought not as lost as he thought. He looked around, huffing, yet the prey was no longer there. He started to go in the direction he smelled them, but the golden thing attacked him! He swatted out in self defense. It collapsed. That would teach it for messing with him. But, that golden thing was familiar to him. It groaned and whispered a name. "Tai." The alien feeling began pushing back and it started to overtake him. He had done this. He had hurt a friend. He felt the outside idea accuse him of hurting a fellow friend. Friends? He was alone...PEACE!_

Tai sat up, the memories were gone, retreating back into his mind. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. He felt nauseous. He began to feel it coming and ran to the nearest bucket. He vomited in it. Thankfully, none of the horrific feeding he had done during the battle came up. That would have just set him off – he would have probably fainted. Wiping his mouth, he sat back down on the bed. He looked around the room. The ninja stars were still there. The paintings of the Furious Five and Po's original action figures stood in glass cases. There was a stream of light that illuminated the room, giving it a soft tone. Scrolls and pamphlets – mainly about the Furious Five and kung fu – littered the room. He saw a painting of Po and Mr. Ping together. Po, in the picture, was still the short little bear, barely rising above his father's head. Tai felt conflicting emotions build within. He looked away and sat down. A small dent in the wooden floor drew his attention. He laughed when he remembered the story the goose had told them earlier that day. It was that fateful day, when the Dragon Warrior was to be chosen, that Po had tried to get up using the method taught in kung fu. To put it very simply, he had failed and put the dent in the floor. The once chubby panda was now a...

_...Hero_, thought Tai.

Tai looked down at the ground, staring at the dent. A knock on the door made him look up. It was Shang.

"May I come...what's that smell? And are you alright? You're sweating!"

Tai was embarrassed and his eyes darted back and forth between the Golden cat and the bucket. "Just battling myself," he allowed. "I don't like it."

Shang nodded. He wasn't good at this. Why did they have to choose him? Mei would have done a great job. Or Tigress, or Po, or anybody! Even Commander Zhou would have done a better job than he would have. He rubbed the back of his neck before answering.

"I'm sure it will get better," he replied. Immediately he felt stupid. "I mean...I think you can beat it."

"Really?" asked Tai, arching an eyebrow. "I sure hope so," he sighed. "It's painful and I don't want to have to always be haunted by these memories."

Shang felt that he could expound on something like this. "What kinda memories?"

"Bad ones. Nothing good. Nothing to hold onto either. I've got nothing to remember the good."

Shang pulled out the talisman and began to twirl it around, moving it expertly from one paw to the other. The Golden cat leaned against the doorframe as he played with the toy, waiting for Tai to notice it. He didn't. Shang cleared his throat.

"Alright, they said I shouldn't do it bluntly, but I don't see how else I'm gonna do it. Here."

Shang held the talisman out. Tai leaned forward to accept it. He studied it, his face contorted when he saw the two rings and the dreaded chain that had held his parents paws together through the holes drilled in. Too many things were going to his mind right now to know exactly what he was feeling.

"Do you like it? It's supposed to be a reminder of your parents. Mei thought it would be a good idea. Keep them close, you know. A flower did the same thing for Mei."

Tai looked up sharply. "A flower?"

"Yeah. A pretty one too. White and periwinkle," said Shang, recalling the flower. He whistled. "Nice, very nice."

Tai smiled and stared back at the rings that were intertwined. Senlin-Mu had asked him once about a flower. He didn't think he was talking about that one. Funny how things play out. He then saw the names that were etched into the rings. It was his father's and mother's handwriting. Their names carved on the inside of the rings. He gazed at them with eyes that lit up as he studied them.

"I think this is exactly what I need. And you did fine," he added, poking fun at Shang. "I think just tossing it in my face was perfect. A wake up call. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Just don't tell Mei I did it my own way and that it worked."

"Why not?"

"Just don't."

"Alright. I still don't get you and Mei."

"You won't until you ask Tigress."

Tai let his jaw drop before he spluttered out his protests. "Shuttup! Get out of here. I don't know what you are talking about."

"I do. You can't fool me. Though, its going to take someone insanely interesting to get her attention."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Just come to me if you need help. I'll be off."

Tai nodded as Shang shot back down the stairs. He sat back down on the bed, staring at the talisman. He clasped it on, letting it go down the collar of his shirt. He took a deep breath and looked around Po's room. His eyes locked on the corner. There were the specters of his parents. They looked at Tai with soft eyes and a slight smile. Sun had to force herself not to reach out for her son. He was beyond her now. But, defying all the rules, they spoke four words.

"_You are our hero._"

Tai's smiled and waved goodbye as they faded. They were still there, watching over him as stars in the sky. It wasn't like he had lost them totally. Their loss was still painful, but at least he felt their presence. He had a lot to do in the future, but right now was not the time for that. He heard laughter and got up. Now he had friends, now he had family – almost, and now he had an idea of where he was going. The stairs gave way to him being able to take in all that was before him. Shang motioned for him to take back his spot. He looked around at all of the faces, smiling, laughing, talking, or slurping down soup or chomping on dumplings. He looked at Tigress and smiled. To his surprise, she smiled back as well. Warmth blossomed in his chest. Maybe he was still slightly _mishi_ – lost – but at least he had animals to guide him to where he needed to go. Yes, he had finally found his friends to guide him after a long journey.

* * *

><p>AN: Congratulations! If you are reading this that means you have actually read all my story! For that, I am grateful. It's nice to know someone takes the time to appreciate your work. Leave a review if you would be so kind. I don't care what it is about as long as it is at least constructive criticism. Any remarks, ideas (for the next one), pointers, encouragement, etc. are wonderful.

Thanks again for reading _A Long Journey_. You won't hear from again me until I get the next one worked out a bit more and actually have a bulk of it finished. Sorry; I like to work on one story at a time. Makes me concentrate on it more and I believe you get the best work out of people who do that - that's my opinion. But feel free to send me any ideas or pointers (as stated above)!

Thank you one last time!

-omnomswritings


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